Five states will participate in the second edition of Kaduna’s Strongest Man 2019 contest scheduled for December 1, 2019 at the Gymnasium Hall, Ahmadu Bello Stadium Kaduna.
Addressing sports writers on the modalities for the competition, spokesman of the organisers, Kaduna Film Academy, Shehu Musa Suleiman, said there would be contest for five events; trailer head pulling, lifting of small vehicle, Peugeot 206, rolling giant caterpillar tyre across 50m in two minutes, bench pressing 140kg minimum and squatting, clean and jack 160kg minimum.
“Last year, being first edition was a success. We are not expecting anything less than last year. This year, we are expecting contestants from four other states and the military. The Kaduna Strongest Man 2019 is for able bodied Nigerians. We want them to come and prove that what happens in US, Dubai is possible here.
“The number of participants so far registered are 13, with five from outside Kaduna. We have prizes for first, second and third positions. Registration is free, it is open, but there is a level of criteria before we admit participants. There will be lots of entertainment. We have musicians coming in from Lagos. We will take a token for the gate fee to control the crowd,” he concluded.
Also speaking, national weightlifting coach, Usman Shehu Usman, expressed optimism that next year’s edition will feature women. “We thank Kaduna Film Academy for organising this.
“Kaduna is a pacesetter in organising this. We pray that Kaduna state government and other corporate organizations support in making the event successful. We hope in the future to make it international by inviting participants from other African countries,” he said. Defending champion, Mr. Matthew Abuo, in his comments, said that he hope to retain his title, just as he called for more sponsorship. “It appears we have a long way to go. We are going beyond Kaduna and with more support, the sky will be the limit. It is surprising something like this is coming from Kaduna, so that other states in the North which are backward in sports can emulate,” he said.
Speaking on his preparations so far for the competition, Matthew said he has trained for one week. “I was down with fever for about two weeks, but I have recovered and started training this week.”
