PH to host World’s Strongest Man tilt

Various places in the Philippines will serve as venues for events in this year’s World’s Strongest Man (WSM) competition, the Department of Tourism (DOT) announced on Wednesday.

In a statement, the DOT said it facilitated the holding of the 41st WSM competition in the Philippines to boost sports tourism in the country, particularly in the places where the events would be held.

Nine days

The WSM competition will run from April 28 to May 6.

The DOT said WSM events would be held simultaneously for nine days in different locations in and outside Metro Manila starting April 28, including four qualifying days (April 28-May 1), three rest days, and two days for the finals (May 5 and 6).

Among the places where events will be held are Quirino Grandstand at Rizal Park and Intramuros in Manila; Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City, and the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City.

Events will also be held in Tagaytay City, Bataan, Corregidor Island, Davao City and Coron Island.

Tourism Undersecretary Kat de Castro said in the DOT statement that at least 30 contestants would vie for the WSM championship, which involves 16 events, including truck or airplane pulling, carrying a refrigerator, lifting an Atlas stone weighing over 450 kilograms, and lifting huge logs.

“The competition is about stamina, skill, tactics, training and strategy,” De Castro said. “Every event is designed to push the strongmen to their absolute limits, challenging not only their physical strength, but [also] their agility and mental toughness.”

In the 41st WSM, British strongman Eddie Hall will defend the title he won in Botswana, South Africa, last year.

The 30-year-old Hall posted a world record deadlift on a 459-kg long bar.

Int’l telecast

The WSM competition, launched in 1977 by CBS Television, is televised in more than 70 countries, according to the DOT said.

It is a top-rated series in the United Kingdom, shown annually in December, and in the United States in summer, the DOT said.

Among the places that have hosted the WSM competition are California and West Virginia in the United States. Morocco and China have also hosted the competition, the DOT said.