Naija's Masters bodybuilders (I): Abdulrasaq Kazeem

Hi everyone!

We're back with a fresh new blog post!

We would like to announce the debut of a mini-series titled 'Naija's Masters bodybuilders'! This is going to be a 'blog within a blog', focusing on the elder statesmen of the sport (over 40s), who have or still engage in fitness and bodybuilding, either at personal or competitive level. We wish to acknowledge and honour their efforts as well as learn a thing or two from their journeys and experience, especially while they are still around to share it with us!

Every instalment of this mini-series shall focus on one veteran of the sport. This first instalment of the series features the redoubtable Abdulrasaq Kazeem!

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Mr Abdulrasaq Adekunle Kazeem is a multiple medal winner at both national and international level in various bodybuilding competitions, spanning the course of nearly 3 decades. Born on 10 October 1969, he began his sporting career as an amateur Greco-Roman wrestler, eventually becoming a junior member of the Lagos State team by 1987. That year, his uncle, already a national-level weightlifter based in Ibadan, Oyo State, on a routine visit to Lagos, introduced him to the concept of lifting weights as a distinct discipline and not just as a means of support for other sporting codes. With constant practice came a transformation in his physique which did not go unnoticed. "People around me began to advise me to venture into bodybuilding proper, which I subsequently did, and I came to love the sport," he reminisces. It did not take long for his new-found endeavour to start to yield results. His first trophy came at the 2nd edition of the IFBB Nigerian national championships held at the iconic National Arts Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos, in the year 1992. At this event, Mr. Kazeem came out tops in the 70-75kg class, a category that he went on to dominate at national level until his retirement, never suffering a loss. This watershed moment was to prove the start of a string of successful outings, including appearances at the 63rd IFBB World championships in Doha, Qatar (2009) where he also made history as the first West African bodybuilder to attain a semi-final placement at an IFBB World championship; the 64th, 65th & 67th IFBB Men's World championships in Baku Azerbaijan, Mumbai India & Marrakesh Morocco in 2010, 2011 & 2013 respectively. Other championships Mr Kazeem has participated in include the 2010 African championships in Accra, Ghana (won the 75kg class), the 2013 West African championships held in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire (won the 75kg class) as well as the Mr Flex Nigeria 2014 edition (overall winner).

In a country where sporting careers can be brutally short and ultimately unfulfilling, Mr Kazeem credits his longevity to deliberate lifestyle choices. "I focused on staying drugs-free, maintaining a good diet, a controlled sex drive and just a disciplined lifestyle in general." Education is another critical venture that Mr Kazeem has not taken for granted, as during the course of his decorated career, he also acquired a B.Sc. in Human Kinetics from the prestigious University of Lagos. He recollects a particularly interesting encounter with a female friend and coursemate from his final year in 'uni': "She visited me at my parents' home, and in amazement at my collection of medals and trophies garnered from competing around the world, asked what I needed school for with all my achievements. I replied that I would fall back on my education when the day comes that I can no longer run, lift or wrestle."

Mr Kazeem retired from competitive bodybuilding in 2015 and nowadays can be found at Eleganza gym in the upscale Ikoyi neighbourhood of Lagos, where he has worked since 2000 on a part-time basis as a personal trainer. He has also reverted to his first love and is now a wrestling coach with the Lagos State Sports Commission, as well as a member of the National Wrestling Coaches Association of Nigeria. That is not to say that he has abandoned bodybuilding completely, as he is always available for consultation and advice to the younger ones-a habit he began towards the tail end of his competitive career, something he says some of his contemporaries usually frowned upon. He defends his actions as being part of looking out for the long-term growth of the sport in the country. "I would point out to them that we are 'almost done' and would need to help bring through the younger ones. I am one for sowing seeds for future generations to come, because I believe that we would have a better society if adults plant trees which they know they might never get to sit in the shades or eat the fruits of because they would be long gone when these trees are grown."

Mr Kazeem stands tall as a veteran of the game and can rightfully be described as one of Naija's Masters bodybuilders!

He is happily married with children.

Connect with Mr Kazeem on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube today!

The NBD