Magic in Myanmar: 55th IFBB men's world Amateur Bodybuilding Championships promotes global unity

Flex, April, 2002 by Tony Blinn

Yangon, Myanmar, served as host city for the 2001 World Amateur Bodybuilding Championships. The 55th staging of the contest took place during the week of November 21-26, just two months after the fateful attacks of September 11. Paul Chua, IFBB vice-president for Asia, proved up to the challenge of helping bring unity to our fractured world through the brotherhood of bodybuilding. Chua worked day and night with the organizing committee during the week preceding the championships to ensure that everything ran smoothly and that the World Amateur Bodybuilding Championships would be a triumph.

Helping demonstrate true global involvement in this contest! athletes from more than 60 nations were scheduled to compete. As the competition unfolded, bodybuilders from seven different countries-- Vietnam, Brazil, Slovakia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Germany and Poland--won the weight classes. Light-heavyweight winner Thomas Scheu of Germany was selected as the overall champion. The athletes from host country Myanmar were given the nod as best national team; Korea and Egypt were awarded the silver and bronze in that category, respectively. Aung Naing of Myanmar was named most-improved bodybuilder.

Many individuals played a significant role in the success of the event. First among them was Col. Myint Aung, president of the Myanmar Bodybuilding Federation, who worked tirelessly on these championships. Others deserve to be singled out for their warm hospitality and kindness, including Capt. HIa Myint Swe, Khin Maung Yee, U Kyaw Than and U Tin Maung Swe.

In addition, other individuals deserve heartfelt thanks and appreciation for their patronage of the event, including Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt, secretary of the State Peace and Development Council and chairman of the National Health Committee; Brig. Gen. Thura Aye Myint, minister for Sports; and U Ko Lay, mayor of Yangon.

Every year, the World Amateur Championships proves to be one of the most exciting bodybuilding shows, drawing athletes, officials and spectators from all over the planet. Recent world events have created a great need for bodybuilders to come together, not only in the name of competition, but to help further the cause of global unity. The 2001 rendition of the World Amateur contest helped fill that need.

2001 IFBB MEN'S WORLD AMATEUR BODYBUILDING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Yangon, Myanmar; November 21-26, 2001

FLYWEIGHT


1 Pham Van Mach               Vietnam
2 Aung Naing                  Myanmar
3 Tun Tun Aung                Myanmar
4 Wang Bung Cho               Korea
5 Mohamed El Bialy            Egypt
6 Do Kyung On                 Korea

BANTAMWEIGHT

1 Jose Carlos Santos          Brazil
2 Anwar El Amawy              Egypt
3 In Chai                     Korea
4 Anatolu Masimov             Azerbaijan
5 Aung Khine Win              Myanmar
6 Lee Lap Chi                 China-Hong Kong

LIGHTWEIGHT

1 Igor Kocis                  Slovakia
2 Yossri Sayed                Egypt
3 Han Dong Ki                 Korea
4 Young Sub Lee               Korea
5 Werner Zenk                 Germany
6 Assad Tafair                Iraq

WELTERWEIGHT

1 Tagir Fakhrudinov           Azerbaijan
2 Zaw Thein Naing             Myanmar
3 *
4 Kim Myung Sub               Korea
5 Eduard Derzapf              Germany
6 Andrej Mozolani             Slovakia

MIDDLEWEIGHT

1 Serguei Dimitriev           Russia
2 Pavlos Mentis               Greece
3 Frank Schramm               Germany
4 Tamer El Shahat             Egypt
5 Juraj Vrabel                Slovakia
6 Ilya Goroshko               Russia

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

1 Thomas Scheu (and overall)  Germany
2 Pawel Brzozka               Poland
3 Pavel Ershov                Russia
4 Ladislav Kurcik             Czech Republic
5 Stavros Malactos            Cyprus
6 Ian Dowe                    England

HEAVYWEIGHT

1 Mariusz Strzelinski         Poland
2 Petr Weinlich               Czech Republic
3 Rolandus Pocius             Lithuania
4 *
5 *
6 Mohamed Anouti              Lebanon

* No medal awarded for this placing. The top three competitors in each
class were drug tested. Remaining competitors were tested randomly. IFBB
rules state that only athletes who pass a drug test can receive a medal.