Bodybuilding as a sport is in a spot in the suburbs. Although youngsters from lower middle class and poor families join the local akharas with big dreams, most drop out in a few years because of lack of infrastructure and funds. Competition from a number of modern gymnasiums that have sprung up in the recent past only add to the crisis.
Those who patronise the traditional clubs, however, are determined not to give in to the numerous odds. “When I started bodybuilding at Nawpara Kheyali Sangha nearly 12 years ago, there weren’t many gyms around. I love my akhara and stuck to it. It wouldn’t be true to say that bodybuilders are not emerging from the traditional clubs. Most bodybuilders in this area are from such clubs,” says Rajkumar Ganguly, 28, a resident of Nawpara, Hooghly.
But the financial crunch has taken a toll. Shakti Ashram Byamagar at Kanaipur, Hooghly, doesn’t even have a display board with the name at its entrance. Still, it boasts of about 50 members and has produced a number of notable bodybuilders.
Kesab Chandra Kar, secretary of Konnagar Manashatala Bayam Mandir, one of the biggest bodybuilding clubs of Hooghly, says: “We don’t have a gym here. We make this clear to the youngsters when they join. The boys work out with iron dumbbells; there are no machines.” Although the club has around 50 members, the membership fees do not cover expenses. “It’s just Rs 5 per member per month. There is hardly anything for the club,” says Kar. The club is one of the fortunate few that has members who pay the fees.
Biswajit Pal, a member of Nawpara Kheyali Sangha, rues: “Quite a few good professional bodybuilders who practised here have left due to the lack of infrastructure.” He adds: “People who come here are mostly from lower middle class families. It often proves difficult for them to pursue the sport because of pressure both from home and at work.”
Those who are better off turn to modern gyms but there always are youths who swear by the efficacy of tradition over technology. Ashish Karmakar, 27, of Konnagar Manashatala Bayam Mandir, who has a couple of district level titles in his kitty, says: “I’ve been bodybuilding at this akhara for nearly eight years now. I didn’t go to gyms for lack of good coaches. The other deterrent is the monthly fees, which is Rs 75 or more. The admission fees are around Rs 500.” Karmakar’s coach Panchucharan Ghosh says: “Manual exercises like push-ups and sit- ups are bodybuilding basics. No bodybuilder can be 100 per cent dependent on gyms.”
No one is too hopeful of the prospects of bodybuilding as a sport. “It’s difficult to get sponsors,” says Kar. Ganguly recounts: “I wanted to be a professional bodybuilder, but couldn’t because of the constraints. Jagat, a friend of mine who was the champion in 12 all-Bengal competitions and stood fourth at the India Federation Cup 2004, is yet to get a job.” Jagat Jyoti Charkaborty is a member of Talpukur Byamagar, Serampore. “I’m into this sport for 10 years. The traditional workouts are a must. In the gym, we only get to do weight-specific exercises.”