Paul has spoken: 3 golds
Date: 02.12.2003
Posted by: Anabolic Info Team Singapore
When Paul Chua says it will be at least three bodybuilding gold medals for Singapore, you can bet your last dollar it will be three golds. When he predicted it would be two at last year's Busan Asian Games, well, it was a two-gold haul, indeed.
Such is the unquestioned knowledge of the 62-year-old Singapore Bodybuilders' Federation president, who has been in the thick of the game for more than 40 years, that he knows the entire field like the back of his hands. As he sat proudly and ram-rod straight, talking ever so animatedly to Timesport at the bodybuilders' hotel here yesterday, he said: 'When I make a prediction for Singapore, I am always confident it will come true. No two ways about it.
'Some of the opposition may not like it, but you have to grant me the privilege of my expertise. So this time around, my forecast is three golds - from Ibrahim Sihat, Simon Chua and Mohamed Ismail.'
And why not? After all, Simon Chua is the reigning Asian Games welterweight champion, while flyweight Ibrahim and light-heavyweight Ismail won silvers at the Busan Asiad last year.
Having said that, however, Paul is aware that over the years, he has been accused by opposing camps of being 'Mr Fixer', the man who uses his reputation as Asia's leading bodybuilding official to influence the judges.
Not only has Paul been the SBBF president for more than 30 years, he is also the Asian BBF secretary-general, the vice-president of the International BBF, president of the South-East Asia BBF and secretary-general of the Commonwealth BBF.
When Timesport asked him in the face how he feels about being called 'Mr Fixer', he shot back: 'Hey, I surely cannot swing the thinking of seven judges at any one time.
'For all my good reputation as a top world body-building official, if I were to speak to even one judge about granting results my way, there goes my name. You think I'm crazy to spoil my own name? Think again, please.
'I have 39 Asian countries under my wing in the Asian BBF. If they think I fix results, I would have been voted out a long time ago. But no, all my affiliates know I devote 16 hours a day to bodybuilding.
'Put it this way, I have grown accustomed to such accusations, which come mostly from losers or from people who want to win with my influence.' Paul then related two major incidents that jolted him.
'At one Asian Games, my life was threatened. I was getting threats over the phone in my hotel room. The callers demanded that the host country win all the medals or I would not be able to go home.
'I wasn't afraid because I knew they were from gambling syndicates, so I complained to the officials and they gave me bodyguards throughout the Games.
'Then, at one SEA Games, people wanted to bribe me US$20,000 (S$35,000) per gold medal.
'They left the money at the hotel reception, with my name on the envelope and a note inside. But I gave it back to the reception desk after opening it, and I heard no more from them.
'As long as my conscience is clear, I am not afraid of all these threats and bribery attempts. And thank God, so far I have not been hurt - not that I am expecting to be hurt. I have accepted that in life, some love you, some hate you, especially in sports.
'That is why, when you ask for my prediction, I don't hold back, I tell the truth because I'm an expert.
'And I say Azman Abdullah, whether he's a former Mr Universe or not, will not win the gold. He's good only for the bronze because his comeback is too recent.
'Three months is too short a time to get back to full definition. If he had five months, yes, he's a certain gold.'
To which Azman said: 'Paul has his opinion, please respect mine. I am going for gold, for sure. Look at me, I have gone down from 110kg to 85.5kg in three months, I've gone through the pain of losing weight for my light-heavy category. I have lost a lot of muscle base because of the short time.
'Paul is right that five months would have been ideal for my return after six years' retirement. But I have enough definition to pull through against my strongest rivals from Myanmar.'
