Weightlifter Roy Mubiru For Schwarzenegger Challenge

Roy Mubiru, a South African Ugandan based power lifter will be the second African to compete for a top accolade in the world strong men championships later this month. The 37 year old heavy weight power lifter will be competing in the Arnold Schwarzenegger Sports Festival due February 27 in Ohio, Columbus USA.

The Arnold Sports Festival will again attract 175,000 sports and fitness fans to watch 18,000 athletes compete in 50 sports and events, including 13 Olympic events.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Lorimer have co-produced the Arnold Sports Festival since 1989, when it debuted as a one-day bodybuilding competition known as the Arnold Classic. The Arnold Sports Festival has steadily grown over the years and is now a four-day festival that features a variety of sports, including professional and amateur bodybuilding, weightlifting, powerlifting and Strongman. Also featured is a lineup of youth sports that includes gymnastics, cheerleading and dance, fencing, martial arts and many others.

Mubiru who leaves the country this week after a short holiday in an exclusive interview told Pepper Online Sport’s Martin Kaddu that he was rushing back to South Africa after failure to get a worthy gym with equipments that can shape him better for the competition. “I want to have a significant performance and get the points and qualify for the world strongest men which is more money making”, said Mubiru.

He will be competing in three categories; track pulling Bench and dead lift plus Africa stone. “I can do about 180-200kg in bench lifting while I go 300kg in dead lifting”, he confirmed.

Who is Mubiru
Born to Mr. Samuel Galiko (RIP) and Mrs. Justine Nakabugo of Ntinda, the giant athlete has competed in over 20 countries in Europe and Asia left Uganda as a boxer in 2001 passing through the ranks at Lukanga Boxing Club since 1994 but failed to make the national outfit, the Bombers.

He moved to South Africa and had his weightlifting debut in 2004 during the Pretoria Kevin Power lifting but didn’t impress despite training in the sport for two years. Not an athlete who easily gives up, Mubiru rebound to win lightweight silver at the 2005 Gauteng power lifting championships.
His hunger for success took him as far as Thailand in 2011 where he made headlines carrying silver and won more honours at the UK Fame competitions before winning his first gold in Las Vegas.

Developing the sport
37-year-old Mubiru is determined to help develop the sport in Uganda from the grass roots. He has plans to partner with stakeholders to to construct a mega fully equipped power lifting and body building gym worth over shs30m in Ntinda, a Kampala suburb.

“So many boys in the suburbs have the power given to their kind of daily tasks but lack trainers and equipped gyms to train from,” he observed. “With the necessary equipment in place, Uganda can get Olympics medals from the sport,” he added.

He has also initiated a talent-spotting and nurturing competition called the “Roy Mubiru Power lifting championship” held annually and he uses it to inspire and motivate young athletes. “I make it an obligation to come back home every October and facilitate the Roy Mubiru Championship. It’s one way of me giving back to my community. We need to attract the many young boys to the sport that is participation to be free”, he explained.

Family life
Being muscled and traversing the planet doesn’t stop Mubiru from sparing time for his young family. He’s married to Catherine Nakate with whom they have a young son Troy Mubiru. He also has two daughters; Tamia Nambi, 14 and Dion Nagadya, 16. Mubiru is so proud of his girls who he likens to the world famous tennis American sisters, Serena and Venus Williams.

“My girls are very promising tennis players. I have hope that in a few years Uganda nad Africa will have a new set of World conquering tennis sisters in Tamia and Joan,” Mubiru confesses.
Both girls are ILTF (International Lawn Tennis Federetion) registered players based in England.