HARARE - Musclemania Zimbabwe organisers are mooting plans to spread the prizes evenly among the top athletes per category.
This will see the elimination of the traditional motor vehicle prize, which has been criticised as a “winner takes all” format.
The country’s most lucrative private bodybuilding contest initially slotted for August 9 returns on October 4 in Hatfield. The show was traditionally held at Ochi City and is set to be staged at Hapizen Plaza, a joint owned by the same organisers.
Tofara Moyo, the Musclemania Zimbabwe coordinator, said they were working on a model that encourages record participation at all levels.
“We will have the usual prizes just like the previous years; residential stands, plasmas, fridges and mobile handsets among other prizes,” Moyo told the Daily News.
“There was a complaint last year that there is a big gap between the overall winner and the athlete who finishes in second place and in order to encourage our competitors, we are looking at how best we can spread the prizes evenly across the top six bodybuilders per category.
“Instead of just giving the plasma to the second winner, it will be worthwhile to have a monetary fee reserved in cash so that we can try to balance the prize regime.”
Meanwhile, four-time Mr Zambia Slyvester Mwila will contest at this year’s event.
“This year’s contest should be a bit tough because we have got some athletes from Zambia whom I think are a force to reckon with when it comes to African bodybuilding,” Moyo added.