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SYLVESTER Mwila has lashed out at the Zambia Body Building and Fitness Federation (ZBBFF) for poorly organising the 2013 Mr Zambia contest that saw him win the title for a fourth time.
Mwila, who successfully retained his title after beating nine other contestants during the competition held at the InterContinental Hotel in Lusaka, described the K5, 000 prize money dangled out by ZBBFF for the winner as trash.
He said the money that was given to him was nothing considering the amount of training he has put in during the past year to defend the title.
“Yes I have won but I am not happy. The competition was alright but things that are happening in the federation now are not right. Let me not say more but I feel happy to have won the title four times despite there being no improvement in the organisation of the event.
We need the association to be serious. I trained for one year and I come here there is no money, this is trash. I am Mr Zambia but there is nothing to show for it,” a visibly annoyed Mwila, from Kabwata Gymnasium, said.
But ZBBFF president Danny Mkandawire was left livid by Mwila’s comments, saying the champions’ sentiments were an act of indiscipline.
Mkandawire said that Mwila’s complaint merely exhibited his levels of selfishness and how ungrateful he was to the federation.
He said the prize money was reduced from the indicated K15, 000 to K5, 000 because the federation failed to meet its budget of K153, 000 to successfully stage the event.
Mkandawire said a named company had promised to sponsor 80 per cent of the association’s budget but pulled out at the 11th hour leaving the federation with no choice but to reduce the prize money.
“This is indiscipline at its worst. How can Mwila say that? As a federation we are just not interested in one contestant but we also consider grooming the upcoming body builders.
“Before the actual competition, we had several meetings with the contestants and they were aware of the financial constraints the federation was facing and I am surprised at Mwila’s comments when he knew what was happening,” he said.
Mkandawire has since urged Mwila to stop being petty and try to be realistic on the matter as he was among the contestants that voted for the motion that only the top three should get prizes.He said the ZBBFF disciplinary committee will look into the matter and a verdict will be passed.
SOURCE: Times of Zambia
