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By J. Burgess Carter
Published: 28 December, 2005
MONROVIA, December 28 -- The American
Electronics-sponsored “Mr. Liberia” Annual Weight-lifting and
Body-building National Competition, ended Monday at the Sports
Commission on Broad Street.
Fashioned and hosted by the Liberia National
Weight-lifting and Body-building Federation (LNWBF), the competition
featured several young participants.
In the lightweight category, Joshua Suku, the
“Mr. Liberia” lightweight defending champion, easily retained his
title after he went six repetitions above his major opponent, Murphy
Washington, of the Soul to Soul Gymnasium, on 224 pounds.
There wasn't a hard day for Jerry Konah of the
Carey Gymnasium, who knocked out Ben Koffa on 320 pounds in the
middleweight category.
The most sensational of the weights action was
in the Heavyweight category, which featured “Mike Tyson”, the
current “Mr. Liberia Heavyweight Champion, Daniel Paul (Mr. Big),
and Joe Armstrong Deline, “the Animal.”
“Mr. Big” of the Big Fitness House on the Old
Road was crowned champion of the heavyweight category. However, a
controversy erupted between the referee and the fans and supporters
of “Mike Tyson” of the Pointers’ Gymnasium, who was disqualified on
the rules, after both contenders failed to lift up 384lbs, and were
rather allowed to lift 344 lbs by reputations.
Prior to the heavyweight, Mannah Aneyoue of
the Mr. Big’s Fitness House emerged as the “Mr. Liberia” in the
squatting category, after lifting 340lbs.
Speaking during the opening of the event, Rev.
Dr. Margaret Toh-Thompson of the Freedom Alliance Party (FPAL), who
served as chief patron, thanked the LNWBF for its vision, noting
that body-building could bring pride to Liberia.
The “Mr. Liberia” Annual Weight-lifting
National Competition replaces “Mr. Ironman” which was hosted
annually for body-builders to afford them the opportunity to compete
and unite.
Winners of the competition could be given the
chance to participate in the Beijing Olympics and other games, such
as the All African Games
