TALWALKARS CLASSIQUE 2015 BODYBUILDING COMPETITION

LIFESTYLE/ HEALTH

by Shrutee K/DNS

Mumbai, 17 November 2015- India's top 30 bodybuilders and an equal number of mixed pairs (men and women) will fight it out for the title in the prestigious TALWALKARS'; CLASSIQUE 2015- INVITATIONAL BODYBUILDING COMPETITION to be held in Mumbai on December 16-17, 2015 in Mumbai. The event which carries a top cash prize of Rs 5 lakhs and a handsome trophy is being organised by TALWALKARS BETTER VALUE FITNESS LIMITED under the auspices of the Indian Body Builders Federation, the national body for the sport of bodybuilding recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.

The total prize money for the event is approximately Rs 16.25 lakhs for the men';s event with the second and third placed athletes getting Rs 3 and Rs 2 lakhs respectively. The winning pair in the team event for men and women will be awarded Rs.1 lakh. The top ten will be the beneficiaries of the largesse offered by the organisers. The top 30 champion body builders representing the Indian Railways, Indian Navy, Maharashtra, Delhi, Odisha, Tamilnadu, Central Reserve Police Force, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi will be vying for a place in the top ten or the finals on December 16, 2015 in the preliminaries to be held at Orchid Hotel, Near Domestic Airport, Vile Parle

Indian Navy';s Murali Kumar an Asian and World Champion, who has been at the top for the past two years will be among the favourites to bag the title. He will face a tough time from teammates Vipin Peter, Hari Prasad and the likes of A Boby Singh, himself a World Champion of the Railways  and a couple of others. The performance of Shweta Rathod in the mixed pairs will be a major attraction in the sport in India where womens'; bodybuilding is at a nascent stage. The other contenders from Maharashtra include Sunit Jadhav, Swapnil Narwadkar, B Mahweshwaran, Sagar Mali, Sagar Katurde, Jagdish Lad, Mahendra Chavan and Deepak Tripathi. While addressing the media, Madhukar Talwalkar of TALWALKARS BETTER VALUE FITNESS LIMITED spoke briefly about the institution';s standing in the fitness industry in India. 

We are on the scene for almost six decades and our aim is to spread the message of wellness and fitness through bodybuilding and from what I have seen and experienced over the years I can certainly say that one bodybuilder can inspire thousands of others to exercise. And the aim of organizing an event of such magnitude is to exactly spread the message and at the same time help promising athletes to achieve their goals.

Justifying the necessity of the Mixed Pairs event, Talwalkar said, through this I wish to convey to all married couples to understand the importance of good health and fitness through regular exercise. Though the concept is new we have yet managed to attract half a dozen entries. That one of the pairs is a husband and wife is notable and an example for others to follow.

Replying to a query about the high fees charged by gyms or health clubs, he justified that with a counter, ';';if you feel fitness is a costly thing then try being ill or embracing illness and tell me which one is better? that too with his trademark radiant smile on his face.

Chetan Pathare, the General Secretary of the Indian Body Builders Federation was also present during the media inter-action. Speaking on the occasion he complimented Talwalkar, the father of the Indian fitness industry for his passionate support to the sport. The competition TALWALKAR CLASSIQUE, the brain child of Talwalkar with a good 16.25 lakhs as prize money is not just about awards about giving a proper platform to our athletes and it is also about taking care of them, remarked Pathare. The Secretary of the Maharashtra State Bodybuilding Association, Adv. Vikram Rothe assured, with the resources at our disposal I am sure we will make this event a grand success.

The winner of the last edition of this competition Murali Kumar, a multiple time national champion and Asian Winner and World Runner-up and World Championships bound athletes SunitJadhav, Jagdish Lad, Vipin Peter and Robby Meetei with local lad SagarKaturde were present at the inter action and displayed their physique much to the delight of the gathering. Their presence gave a fair indication as to the intensity of the competition one is likely to witness a month from now.

In accordance with the anti-doping policy the NADA- National Anti Doping Agency will be conducting random tests during the competition. The FINALS are scheduled to be held on December 17, 2015 at the Yeshwantrao Chavan Auditorium, Matunga (West) from 5.00 pm.