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After 13 years at the helm as chairperson of the Western Province Natural Bodybuilding Union, Hoosain Bester has decided to call it a day.
The 55-year-old Bonteheuwel resident is one of the most beloved figures in the sport and well known across Cape Town.
Ralph Piers and Nelson Benjamin, who are arguably two of the biggest names in the history of bodybuilding in the Western Province, helped pave the way for Bester.
“I started going to bodybuilding shows in 1996 and fell in love with the sport. Ralph Piers was my coach back in the day and Nelson was my training partner. It is emotional thinking back to where I started and what this sport meant for me over the years and still does.
Being a competitive bodybuilder takes dedication and a lot of hard work, and Bester is testament to that as he won all his competitions provincially and nationally between 2013 and 2015. In 2013 he did his country proud by placing third at the world championships in France, and he claimed another respectable top six finish in Spain in 2015.
In 2006 he was selected as coach of the national team to Italy and received his international judging card the following year at the world champs in Spain.
It was also in 2007 that he fondly remembers being selected as president of the South African Natural Bodybuilding Association.
A year later in 2008, his impressive CV grew even longer as he was selected as vice-president of the Union Internationale de Bodybuilding Naturel (UIBBN) for Africa.
“I also did powerlifting competitions between 2000 and 2012 but due to a shoulder injury I decided not to compete anymore. I am also struggling with knee injuries as we speak but you know I have no regrets. I met so many wonderful people and got the see the world through my travels with various teams to world championships,” says Bester.
Bester also coached international athletes of the likes of Reagan Moses, Sandra Rensburg, Harvey Arendse, Marvin Marinus, Llewelyn Lombard, Luke Lucas and Richard Swinton.
Bester, who opened his own gym in Elsies River back in 2000, focuses on competitive powerlifting and bodybuilding. Although his days as an administrator in bodybuilding are over, he will continue to coach and promote the sport in his gym and encourage the youth to be the best they can be.
There is no doubt that his priceless knowledge will create more future champions.
