Monohar Aich : Mr. Universe 1952
A first-hand account of a meeting with Monohar Aich on Dec 14th 2001- Related by Vinaya KumarHe must have stood a little under five feet, but nobody seemed to notice the shortness of his stature. His oiled body glistened and the perfectly shaped muscles stood out as if sculpted in bronze. His movements were measured, deliberate, as he took the microphone and spoke into it:
"First, I am going to present a demonstration of strength." An assistant handed him a swing-bell. He took it and lay face down on the floor, toes out, arms at full stretch holding the swing-bell. Then, before anyone realized what was happening, his body tightened and with one spasm which made those muscles stand out, the man raised himself up into a curved position. The crowd gasped.
Instantly, he rolled himself out to the initial position, and held his body a few inches off the floor, supported only on his toes and on the swing-bell at arms' length in front of him. This he repeated, up again, down again, seven or eight times in quick succession.
Then he stood up breathing deeply. The applause was long and spontaneous.
1989
