Fitness centre Crossfit Holthem in Haaltert (East Flanders) was the scene of the Belgian arm-wrestling championships on Saturday. The newly founded arm-wrestling club at the fitness centre organised only the second edition of the Belgian championships: ‘We do everything we can to promote arm-wrestling,’ Fanuel Dewever of Crossfit Holthem said.
The East Flanders Arm-Wrestling Club in Haaltert has only been in existence for a few months, yet the Belgian Arm-Wrestling Federation asked the club to organise this year's Belgian championships. The club was enthusiastic from the start. "This championship is a great opportunity to put the sport in the spotlight. By organising this Belgian championship, we want arm-wrestling to grow in Belgium. Currently, there are still few clubs."
The championships immediately drew quite a crowd to the gym, where the arm-wrestling club has its home base. "We provided about a hundred seats, and they were all taken. Besides the arm-wrestlers, a lot of supporters also descended on Haaltert. But even local residents who have nothing to do with the sport came to watch. We certainly welcome that."
Could Belgian arm-wrestling one day rival Russia?
Over a hundred arm-wrestlers competed in various categories for the Belgian title. Among them was the defender of the Belgian title, Dries Feremans. He arm-wrestles with both his left and right arm.
"I hope I may also advance to a European championship and even the world championships. Belgium is not yet a big player in this sport. In countries like Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkey, arm-wrestling is much more popular."