by Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, August 9: Iban four-time world bodybuilding champion, 50-year-old Buda Anchah aims to win a few more international titles before retiring for good.
Currently, he is in his final stage of intensive training for two international competitions.
“I have few more weeks preparing for a competition and I will be competing in the Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship in Nepal from September 1 to 7, and then in another World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship in South Korea from November 6 to 12,” said Buda.
Hails from Sri Aman, there is no doubt that the Sarawak bodybuilding icon wants to continue and pursue few more more successes, but age is catching up.
Despite so, he is optimistic that younger bodybuilders will emerge and continue to shine in the international arena as training facilities for the sports are available.
“I am sure new athletes will emerge and continue to put Malaysia or even Sarawak on the world map for this sport. I have been in the sport for a while and I am proud of my achievements in bodybuilding,” he told DayakDaily at his gym at Uni Garden, Kota Smarahan, today.
The former retired airforce personnel is not only a four-time world champion, he is also nine-time Mr Asia, six-time Mr Malaysia and 14-time Mr ATM (Angaktan Tentera Malaysia).
“As an athlete, I have contributed my best for our country. I have seen the Malaysian flag flown on the world stage when I won and I hope to see many more athletes in bodybuilding achieving the same. There is no prouder moment than that. I hope someone could carry the baton and take over from me soon.
“As an Iban, I am proud of our ancestral brave fighting spirit and never forget the war cry ‘Agi Idup Agi Ngalaban’, and I bring such fighting spirit to the world stage,” said Bada, attributing his multiple winnings to his ancestral fighting spirit and his training as airforce personnel.
Buda further shared that in the bodybuilding sport, winning is about discipline – forgoing social life, eating similar diets for months, and training from dawn to dusk. And family is another source of strength which has spurred him on.
He called for more governmental supports for athletes who are representing Sarawak and the country in the international arena so that they may maintain their performance and competitiveness at world class standards. — DayakDaily
