Prabhjot Singh originally hails from Kapurthala in India’s northern state of Punjab. He migrated to Australia in 2014 as an international student.
In 2021, he has won the first position in the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Australia contest in the 80 kg category. The bodybuilding open was held on the 6th of March in Chandler, Queensland.
Highlights:
- Prabhjot Singh, a Melbourne-based bodybuilder, stood first in the IFBB Australia 80 kg category.
- “I had to completely cut off sugar and salt to bring my body in shape," says Mr Singh.
- He is now preparing to participate in Arnold Classic later this year.
This brawny look which won him this accolade was not easy to achieve.
“While preparing for the competition, I had to stick to a very strict diet and a regular workout for a long time. I had to completely cut off sugar and salt from my diet to shape my body in a way that helped me win this competition,” Mr Singh tells SBS Punjabi.
The 25-year-old truck driver says that the satisfaction of winning the competition is greater than his craving for food and he wants to dedicate his achievement to the person he admires the most – his grandfather.
Prabhjot Singh hails from Kapurthala in Punjab. Source: Supplied by Prabhjot Singh
“Winning this competition has made me feel really proud of being able to win the toughest category of the competition. I dedicate it to my idol and the most important person in life, my grandfather, Sardar Nishan Singh Pannu, who has always motivated me to work hard,” he says affectionately.
Mr Singh is now pumping the iron to achieve his next milestone, winning the Arnold Classic, another global bodybuilding contest dedicated to Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, known for his brawny body.
“I was initially preparing myself to participate in the Arnold series last year before it got cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. So, I decided to go for IFBB Australia.
“But this year, I will be a focus on not only participating in Arnold Classic but also winning it,” says Mr Singh.
Mr Singh is now preparing to achieve his next milestone of participating and winning the Arnold Classic.
Prabhjot Singh migrated to Australia in 2014 as an international student from India. Source: Supplied by Prabhjot Singh
“I was initially preparing myself to participate in the Arnold series last year before it got cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak, hence I decided to take part in IFBB Australia.”
“But now this year, I will be completely focusing on my next milestone of appearing in Arnold Classic and winning the competition.”
The Punjabi interest in bodybuilding
Melbourne-based fitness trainer Kamaldip Singh Kahma, a four-time national bodybuilding champion, told SBS Punjabi that working out and staying fit comes naturally to the Punjabi community.
“Punjabis have always been fond of working out to stay fit. People in Punjab’s villages could be seen working out and lifting weights by the side of the tubewells on farms, much before going to gyms became a trend there,” he explains.
Kamaldip Singh Kahma has been actively involved in the fitness industry since 2005. Source: Supplied by Kamaldip Kahma
“The love for fitness and muscle is in our blood,” says Mr Kahma, adding, that the opportunities to take this fascination to a competitive stage, which often results in victory and pride, is encouraging more and more people from our Punjabi community to showcasing their fit body,” said Mr Kahma.
Click the audio icon on the picture at the top of the page to listen to the interview in Punjabi.
