The Overall Champions make their victory pose during the National Athletic Committee (NAC) World Championships 2018 at the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) Convention Center (IC3) last Saturday evening. ./CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Bodybuilders from the Philippines ruled 10 of the 17 categories in the National Athletic Committee (NAC) World Championships 2018 held last Saturday at the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) Convention Center (IC3) in barangay Mabolo, Cebu City.
Aside from winning first place, other Filipinos also finished as runners-up making it a total of 15 Filipino bringing home trophies in this international bodybuilding competition held in Asia for the first-time.
Among the winners was Cebuana contender Helen Geonzon who took the trophy of the Overall Shape category.
The Philippines dominated the Men’s Physique Short category with Mark Joseph Bergonia leading the pack with his first-place finish. He was followed by Nolin Ralph Peregrino at secon-place and Ian Toyong at third.
Two Filipinos also reigned supreme in the Masters’ Class 2 Over 50 with Paul Longfield copping first-place and Reynolds Geron placing second.
Making it a 2-3 finish in the Men’s Physique Tall category were Dync Franco Padilla and Jesse Lanuzo, respectively.
Sarah Amansee and Jesse Marie Ballard also had the same 2-3 finish in the Miss Shape Over 30, respectively.
Reysan Nonepara (Men’s Bodybuilding Class 3), John Rey Prado (Men’s Bodybuilding Class 4) and Geonzon (Miss Shape) also ruled in their respective categories.
Other Filipino athletes who excelled in the international competition were Charlotte Tibawen, who finished third in the Miss Bodybuilding, second placer Remegio Villamor Jr. in the Masters’ Class 1 Over 40 and Melody Cuaycong, the second placer in Miss Figure.
A total of 189 bodybuilding athletes coming from 21 countries participated in the big event.
“No other international sporting events in the Philippines were able to host this many visiting countries. Not even the South East Asian (SEA) Games,” NAC World Championships 2018 event coordinator Dennis Delgado said. “For that, I can really say that the event was very successful for a first-timer,” he added.
According to Delgado, the next NAC World Championship will take place in Greece, although there is no specific date yet.