Botswana’s number one Body Building Champion, Gontse Sechele is toning up in preparation for the Cyprus Body Building World Championships scheduled to start on the 4th of November 2017 at Expo Cypress, Nicosia Cypress.
Sechele has been invited by the South African World Fitness Federation under their National Amateur Body Building Association (NABBA), to participate and compete against athletes from 36 International countries at the WFF International World Championship. The 32 year old managed to overcome poverty after developing a passionate interest in body building. Growing up in a small village of Hubona in the north of Botswana did not stop the ripped youth from rising to be Botswana’s body building champion.
Over the years Sechele managed to be Mr Botswana three times in a row from 2009, 2011 and 2012, took 2nd place in 2010. Went on to be in 4th place for Mr Africa in 2012, 1st place Boksburg Championships 2013 and 1st place NABBA in Gauteng 2013 just to name a few of his achievements. Body building as a sport in Botswana is still misunderstood by many hence many people show less interest for it, Mimi Gowoka, strategist said.
“Many people mistake body building with power lifting, but it is very different. Power lifting is a sport for your total amount lifted for 3 lifts- deadlifts, squat and Bench Press, while body building is a sport with no lifts and is all about sculpting your body to show off the elements of one’s muscles, explained Sechele.”
Unlike other sporting codes, body building is an individual sport which has made it difficult for Sechele to access sponsorship. “Currently, there is not much national support for the sport, and I challenge the BNSC and the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Culture Development to increase their understanding of this sporting code and invest in it”, Sechele said.
Botswana Building Society (BBS) has donated P10, 000.00 to enable Sechele to take part in the Cyprus World Championships. Kealeboga Sebolai, BBS Marketing Executive noted that Sechele is no stranger to national and international competitions adding that BBS are confident that he will bring a medal from Cyprus.
“It is not the first time that BBS is supporting Sechele, we have always been impressed by the passion he has for this sport, his determination to ensure that it is given the recognition it deserves in Botswana and his drive to succeed in it,” Sebolai said.
“I am not going there to contest, I have been in position two before but I am going there to have fun, Sechele said.”
