Inemotimi Angalapele, first athlete to represent Nigeria in international bodybuilding championship, on Monday urged Nigerians to be fitness conscious to live a healthy life.
Angalapele told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt that bodybuilding was necessary to live well.
“For me, bodybuilding is life, I preach it, and I do it. It is nation building. For Nigeria to be wealthy, we need to be healthy.
“I urge every Nigerian to be more fitness conscious to have a healthy life and live well,” he said.
According to Angalapele, in the past, bodybuilders were seen as street boys and that made government not to involve and encourage the athletes but things have changed.
“In our era today, thank God that, bodybuilders are role models.
“If the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, in far away United States of America, as a bodybuilder and the same time Mr Olympia, can emerge as governor of California, we can celebrate ourselves back home.
“We can inculcate what they are doing over there but as bodybuilders, we need to re-orientate our way of life to get support from the government,” he said.
Angalapele urged bodybuilders to show good example by staying away from thuggery, hooliganism or any societal vices.
“I thank God, this generation of bodybuilders, we have toed the path of peace and righteousness, and I know that we are going places,” he said.
The former Nigerian representative urged government to be involved and invest in bodybuilding saying, “It is a lucrative act that can take youths off the streets”.
“Bodybuilders can provide expertise advice for health solutions, in different areas such as nutrition experts, fitness consultants and others,” he said.
Angalapele won the prestigious Mr Nigeria event in bodybuilding in 2002 that led to his rise to compete in Mr Africa in 2004 where he emerged as the first runner-up in Tripoli, Libya.
In 2006, he took part in the Africa championship in the heavyweight division and emerged as the second runner-up in Cairo, Egypt. (NAN)
