By Michael Uugwanga
Former bodybuilders are being urged to return to the sport and help restore Namibia’s bodybuilding glory, which saw the discipline enjoy considerable popularity during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Evaristor Gylgrister, president of the World Fitness Federation (WFF) Namibia, believes the experience and knowledge of former athletes will be crucial in rebuilding the sport and restoring its place in the country’s sporting landscape.
Walvis Bay was once regarded as a hub of bodybuilding in Namibia, producing several athletes who made their mark in local and international competitions.
Among the prominent names associated with Namibian bodybuilding during the 1990s and early 2000s was Sylvanus Niigambo, a five-time Mr Namibia champion who won two lightweight and three middleweight titles.
He also claimed two All-Africa Games gold medals, winning in Harare in 1995 and Durban in 1996.
Niigambo trained at the Kuisebmond Gymnasium Club in Walvis Bay.
Other notable figures included Gary Strydom, who won the Mr Namibia title in 1990 before achieving international success, including the Mr South Africa title in 1995 and competing in Vince McMahon’s World Bodybuilding Federation.
Immanuel Wilfried, who competed in the 1993 Mr Namibia Championships, was another name associated with the sport during that period.
Matty Kayele also competed in the 1993 Mr Namibia Bodybuilding Championships, while Tarra Shimbulu featured in Namibian bodybuilding competitions in the early 1990s.
Despite efforts to revive the sport, Gylgrister believes much work remains before bodybuilding can regain the popularity and competitive strength it enjoyed in its heyday.
“Many former bodybuilders stepped away because they lost hope in the sport, not because they lost their passion for it. The message to them is simple: the door is open. Their experience and knowledge are needed to help rebuild the industry. Coming back together is how Namibian bodybuilding will be revived,” he said.
He said bodybuilding was beginning to regain momentum after years of neglect and inconsistent support, adding that the country had the potential to rebuild a strong competitive environment for athletes.
“Namibian bodybuilding is on the rise again. This sport once stood tall in the nation’s sporting scene, with two to four events every year, athletes hungry to compete, and Namibian champions who carried the national flag proudly across international stages.
“Years of neglect and inconsistent backing pulled the sport down, but that era is over. A new chapter is now being forged, and Namibian bodybuilding is ready to reclaim its place,” he said.
Namibia’s bodybuilding history gained momentum in the 1990s, with the International Federation of BodyBuilding (IFBB) approving the country’s affiliation at its 1990 congress, the year Namibia gained independence.
According to Gylgrister, the sport experienced a quiet period before independent organisers began bringing competitions back between 2010 and 2018.
“Before 2010, the sport went quiet. Between 2010 and 2018, independent organisers brought events back, and in 2023 Namibia hosted an IFBB-qualifying event for the Arnold Amateur, which was organised by Alethea Borman in Swakopmund,” he said.
Gylgrister is calling on former athletes to build on these efforts by sharing their knowledge, mentoring emerging bodybuilders and contributing to the development of a sport that once produced some of Namibia’s most celebrated competitors.
