Ukhru: Two young female athletes from Kamjong district of Manipur are all set to represent India by competing in the upcoming Miss Asia to be held in the Maldives.
Solimla Jajo from Kasom Khullen and Solan Jajo from Leishi village in Kamjong district, both 17 years old, are among the first women from the Tangkhul community to break the ground and represent India in the fitness world.
Solimla and Solan are also the only two women of the eight Manipur bodybuilders to make it indian bodybuilding team for the 54th Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship to be held in the Maldives between July 15 and 21.
This will be the first international competition for the girls as they prepare for the upcoming competition with intensive training at the Royal Gymnasium in Ukhrul district under Instructor and Adviser Robert L Meitei in recent months.
Instructor Meitei is also an international bodybuilder who has trained and produced several acclaimed athletes in hill district fitness sports.
Solimla will compete in the 165cm senior model physique, while Solan has qualified for the competition in the below 160cm senior model physique category.
Speak with EastMojoSolan said she started going to the gym to lose weight in 2020, at age 15. However, she later learned about fitness sports when she returned to the gym in February 2022 and started preparing for the upcoming world event.
“I am training very hard for the upcoming championship. I put all my time and effort into maintaining a strict diet, controlling sugar, oil intake, and salt, among other things,” said Solan, who also just passed her 12th grade exam.
Currently, the duo trains four hours a day, two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening.
Solon, the eldest daughter of the four siblings, hopes to run her own gymnasium in the future.
“With this achievement I want to promote the sport. My big dream is to become a fitness ambassador and in ten years I want to open my own gym, inspire the young people and create a healthier community,” said Solan.
For Solimla, financial constraints made buying dietary supplements a challenge. After her father’s death, she was raised by her class 3-10 paternal aunt. Later, her single mother took care of Solimla along with her three other siblings by running a shop.
Joining the gym not only keeps her fit and healthy, but also helps her gain confidence. Through her achievement, Solimla hopes to inspire others, especially the younger generation, to live healthy.
Apart from the Miss Asia competition, Solimla and Solan will represent India at the 13th WBPF World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship 2022 to be held in Thailand later this year.
Prior to the international fitness championship, the Body Builder’s Association of Ukhrul District (BBAUD) had previously congratulated the two young bodybuilders on their qualification to the championships and wished them all the best for the upcoming events.
Notably, Solimla won Miss Manipur Women Sports Physique in 2019 and placed in the top five of the All India Federation Cup for senior Women Model Physique categories in 2021 in Uttar Pradesh.
Solan was the only girl from Manipur to have qualified in the trials and represented the state in Junior Women’s Fitness in the Junior Miss World India held in Pondicherry earlier this year.
According to instructor Robert, the upcoming women’s fitness in sports physique is judged on the basis of the T-walk, the quadrat turn, skin and muscle tone, thinness, optional posing routine (1 min freestyle) and healthy appearance of the participant.
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