Punjab bodybuilder clinches world championship

Adding another feather to his cap,Punjab’s Dharmendra Singh did India proud by winning his second international bodybuilding title in 2010,when he clinched gold medal in the WFF-WBBF World Amateur Championship held at Brusno Kupele,Slovakia,from October 28 to 31. It maybe recalled that the Hoshiarpur based bodybuilder Dharmendra had created a history by winning a gold medal in the 90-plus weight category and the over-all “Mr Europe” title in the Europe Amateur Championship held at Kaunas,Republic Lithuania,Austria,in June earlier this year. Incidently,another Hoshiarpur bodybuilder Premchand Dhingra had won the World Championship championship title in 1988 at Queensland in Australia.

Dharmendra considers winning the gold medal in Slovakia,as one of the most memorable moments in his life. “After Premchand,my coach,Ramakant Singh,had won a world championship title. And now,I have won the title. So,it means alot to me to be able to stand at par with my coach and Premchand,my idol,” shared the bodybuilder who hails from Khadiala. His coach Ramakant had won the 2007 Musclemania World Bodybuilding Championship held at Los Angeles (California).

The win means alot to Dharmendra as he did all this with just modest facilities at his disposal. “It is hard to survive in the sport because of the callous attitude of the government. There is no job guarantee and nothing is done even when we return with a world championship title or Mr Universe title. I won the title despite the fact that there were very limited resources at my disposal,” complained the 31-year-old.

Now Dharmendra,a gym instructor at Lovely Professional University,has his eyes fixed on the Mr Universe championship to be held in March next year. “I will definitely try to win it and emulate the feat achieved by Premchand in 1988. It would be a great feeling if I win that title,” quips the twice winner of Mr India title.