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KUALA LUMPUR – Why does the Malaysian Body Building Federation (MBBF) claim to be providing immense support for their women athletes when they don’t.
According to a source, “Our association can definitely do a lot better to lobby and speak out for the athletes, which they are not doing. The association has to be held just as accountable to promote the sport. I don’t think the association should be pointing fingers and saying that their hands are tied as everything is up to the state government. Maybe open it for non-Muslim competitors?”
It is now known that women’s bodybuilding within the country is not banned, but under the scrutinous eyes of the religious authorities and all the restrictions that come with women bodybuilding, hosting shows are almost impossible.
“Not a lot of shows can be hosted with the fear that the religious authorities might enter the building, watch the show and maybe even stop it if they find out that there are categories for women,” shares a source.
The source shared with The Vibes their frustrations when it comes to religious authorities being the wet blanket when it comes to women’s bodybuilding competitions because of their competition outfits, which comprises of a two-piece bikini.
“Religious authorities should not meddle when it comes to sports, it is not their department. If they have a problem with the way women dress for competition, don’t go and watch the show. Respecting the Islamic religion is not an issue among athletes, although this may mean that Muslim fitness enthusiasts will not be able to compete, there are many more out there training hard every day hoping that there will be a platform to compete. I think it is really sad that just because the Islamic authority deems it inappropriate, they stop everyone else from competing and showcasing their hard-earned muscle gains.”
Although women bodybuilders are still allowed and encouraged to compete outside of the country, sources tell The Vibes that going for a competition once a year is just not enough.
Without a consistent platform to compete, athletes are unable to gauge their progress as smaller, local shows are the “stepping stone towards bigger, international shows.”
So, unlike their fellow competitors who have had the chance and opportunity to gauge their progress among others, our athletes are at a huge disadvantage. Athletes are basically training and hoping that their condition is on point during the time of their single competition.
Yet, despite being at a big disadvantage, our athletes still seem to be able to land a medal.
Pic courtesy of MBBF Facebook
So, shouldn’t they be rewarded for their tenacity for not only training against a system but winning on an international level?
But with bodybuilding still classified as a category C sport, which means the athletes’ incentives are a lot lower, they do not seem to be rewarded accordingly. To portray the discrepancy, In category A sport, athletes get RM80k if they win, but winning athletes in Category C only get RM20k.
This is where the association must speak up and advocate for the athletes.
“The association has to speak up and defend the athlete and voice out for them. Every year without fail, at big major championships like the Asian and world championships, athletes have never failed to deliver gold medals. This track record should at least bumped the sports up to a B category where the payout is higher, but that is not even getting done.”
So, is the association really fighting for the athletes?
When asked about the amount of support that athletes get from the association, sources revealed that it is usually quiet all year round until a big competition is approaching and the association asks about the athletes’ preference and maybe raise some funds.
Ultimately, is the association really rallying for their athletes? Or are they just banking in their success? – The Vibes, November 15, 2020
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