ISLAMABAD-The three-day Ch Walayat Mr Junior, Mr Pakistan and Yayha Classic Bodybuilding National Championship 2017 will commence from April 13 here at Pak-China Friendship Centre.

Senator Ch Tanveer will grace the closing ceremony as chief guest. Around 60 bodybuilders from across the country will take part in 14 different categories of the event, which carries Rs 1.4 million cash prize. The highlight of the championship is that all the participating clubs and individuals have to submit an affidavit that steroids and drugs are completely banned in their respective clubs and they discourage their use.

Nobody will be allowed to compete in the vent without talking oath that he had never used banned substance or power enhancing drugs in his life. Soon after the competition, a proper drugs test will also be conducted, failing with the bodybuilder will not only be disqualified but also banned for entire life and his club will also face serious consequences.

Addressing a press conference, former three-time Mr Asia Yahya Butt, who is also Pakistan Bodybuilding Federation (PBBF) senior vice president along with secretary M Naeem Akhtar and chief organiser Dr Nabeel Ahmed, said: “We are working a on a drug-free bodybuilding society. I had won lots of international and national titles but I never thought about taking banned or power-enhancing steroids in my life.

“We have started work at grassroots level to clean this beautiful sport from drugs and ensure bodybuilders use neat and fair means to compete as it is a sport, which is highly useful in the later ages, as it keeps the body fit and all those, who have joined gym at early ages enjoy long and healthy life in the later stages of their lives,” he added.

Yahya said: “It is my request to Sports Board Punjab, Pakistan Sports Board and Pakistan Olympic Association to empower Pakistan Bodybuilding Federation to keep check on those bodybuilding clubs, who are spreading death among youth just to earn quick money and overnight glory. They are not only playing with the lives of the innocent youth, but also bringing huge dent to Pakistan’s reputation. The government must ensure no one should be allowed to start gym or bodybuilding clubs without taking proper license, while there must be very strict punishment for all those, who violates law and misguide youth.

“People having almost zero knowledge about bodybuilding or fitness club, start a bodybuilding club and when they can’t meet both ends, they start to use unfair means and spread death among the youth in the name of helping them become overnight champions,” he added.

Yahya said the winner of the Yahya Classic would receive Rs 500,000 cash award while Mr Pakistan would get Rs 200,000 cash award, Mr Pakistan Men’s physique would get Rs 50,000 cash and winner in each category would receive Rs 15,000 each cash award.

“We have invited the best judges and take oath from them that they will not be biased and give verdicts based on justice and no personal favours. It will not only help bodybuilding spread to all corners, but also prevent youth from falling prey into the hands of anti-social elements. Our youth need healthy sporting activities to keep them mentally and physically fresh. We have also arranged lectures from top athletes, who will inform the bodybuilders about the importance of avoiding use of banned substance and steroids,” he added.

He requested the sports journalists to cover this sport as it was their national and moral duty to inform youth about the positives about this sport. He invited youth of twin cities to come and witness the competitions. “We are providing free accommodation, meal and boarding/lodging to all the bodybuilders, who are arriving from different parts of the country. Ch Tanveer has always lent a great help to all the sports and we are spending a total of Rs 2.5 million to conduct this event,” Yahya concluded.