(ATR)The president of the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness tells Around the Rings thousands of bodybuilders are hoping to compete at the 2019 Pan American Games.
In this edition of ATRadio, Rafael Santonja says the governing body is celebrating a huge year for bodybuilding.
On Nov. 1, the Pan American Sports Organization approved the decision to recognize the IFBB during an Executive Council meeting in Washington D.C.
"It's really fantastic," Santonja says.
Now, Santonja tells ATR, the IFBB hopes its sport will be featured at the 2019 Pan Am Games.
"We have 23 NOCs supporting the IFBB," he adds. "And we are in contact with more NOCs to increase this number."
Lima, Peru is hosting the 2019 Pan Ams, July 26-Aug. 11. A total of 37 sports are currently set to appear, consisting of all 28 currently on the Olympic program. Bodybuilding, polo, sport climbing, and wushu have all expressed interest in joining the program in 2019.
Santonja tells ATR he also looks forward to bodybuilding's participation in the 2016 Asian Beach Games, taking place in Da Nang, Vietnam Sept. 4-Oct. 3.
"We are preparing a calendar that includes over 2,000 competitions worldwide for 2016."
The IFBB is also applying to participate in the next edition of the Central American and Caribbean Games.
Written and produced byNicole Bennett
For general comments or questions,click here.
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics isAroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
Recent Articles
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Beyond the final result, Roland Garros left the feeling that the Italian and the Spaniard will shape the great duel that came to help us through the duel for the end of the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era.
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
She is the third in her sport and the seventh athlete to achieve it in the same edition; in Santiago 2023 she was the first athlete with disabilities to compete at the Pan American level and won a medal.
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Argentinian Rodrigo Isgró received a five-game suspension for an indiscipline in the circuit’s decisive clash that would exclude him until the final or the bronze match; the Federation will seek to make the appeal successful.
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
The Kenyan received the maximum sanction for irregularities in his biological passport and the Court considered that he was part of a system of “deliberate and sophisticated doping” to improve his performance. He will lose his record and the bronze medal at the Doha World Cup.
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
The American, a seven-time Olympic champion, referred to the case of the 23 positive controls before the Tokyo Games that were announced a few weeks ago and shook the swimming world. “I think our faith in some of the systems is at an all-time low,” he said.
