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Muscles on display at national champs [1]

Nuku'alofa, Tonga

Wednesday, July 3, 2019 - 16:27.  Updated on Wednesday, July 3, 2019 - 16:29.

Tupou College students, Wesley Vi, Mafi Faka'osi and Kelepi Movete pose for the judges, Tanoa Hotel, Nuku'alofa. 2 July 2019.

Twenty-seven local body builders, including students, took part in the Royal Tongan National Bodybuilding Championships 2019 at the Tanoa Hotel on 2 July, as part of celebrations for King Tupou VI’s 60th birthday.

Categories included sports physique and bodybuilding where competitors were judged by a panel of four including the Head Judge and World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Federation (WBPF) Official, Philip Hope.

The competition incorporated a development program led by Melino Maka, where students from Tonga College and Tupou College took part in the sports physique group where they were judged for their structural poses, symmetry, skin tone and overall polish and shape.

Philip said this was the biggest ever contingent of school boys that are participating in body building.

“I don’t know what they eat but they are well developed.”

“This development program saw some amazing new talent compete for the first time,” he said.

“In fact, we have seen an unprecedented number of new junior athletes come into our sport, because of a dedicated resource to engage the schools. We thank the principals of both Tonga College and Tupou College for choosing to support this initiative.”

The sport is a great way to develop young leaders so they are educated about diet and exercise and how to use resistance training to build and have their physique, but also to help their performance in more traditional sports like rugby, rugby league and athletics, he said.

All competitors were given a certificate and a gift for taking part in the championships.

The WBPF runs the South Pacific Championship which is hosted by a Pacific country that is drug tested. They also provide screening programs and provide support with diet, training, and technical officials.

The place winners are eligible to compete in the South Pacific Championships held in New Caledonia between 23 – 27 October.

Winners:

Mens Sports Physique – under 180cm Junior

  1. Mafi Faka'osi – Tupou College
  2. Wesley Vi – Tupou College
  3. Kelepi Movete – Tupou College

Mens Sports Physique – over 180cm – Junior

  1. Sione Asikia – Tonga College
  2. Salesi Mahe – Tonga College
  3. Lopaola Finau – Tupou College

Open Mens Sports Physique 180cm

  1. 'Unaloto Tavake

Mens Bodybuilding over 80kg

  1. ‘Unaloto Tavake, Kelepi Saipaia (Junior). 'Alani Latu (Masters)
  2. Taiami Tu'ifua
  3. 'Alani Latu

Overall Mens Bodybuilding

  1. ‘Unaloto Tavake
Tupou College and Tonga College students pose for the judges at the Tanoa Hotel, Nuku'alofa. 2 July 2019.
Tonga Bodybuilding [2]
Tonga [3]
Bodybuilding [4]
Tupou College [5]
Tonga College [6]
Sports [7]

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Source URL:https://matangitonga.to/2019/07/03/muscles-display-national-champs

Links
[1] https://matangitonga.to/2019/07/03/muscles-display-national-champs [2] https://matangitonga.to/tag/tonga-bodybuilding?page=1 [3] https://matangitonga.to/tag/tonga?page=1 [4] https://matangitonga.to/tag/bodybuilding?page=1 [5] https://matangitonga.to/tag/tupou-college?page=1 [6] https://matangitonga.to/tag/tonga-college?page=1 [7] https://matangitonga.to/topic/sports?page=1