Veteran S'pore bodybuilder, 92, still lifts regularly at Bedok ActiveSG gym

He represented Singapore in the World Bodybuilding Championship in 1967.

Tanya Ong | June 18, 2018, 02:11 PM

While some of us have no motivation to exercise, others have made it a way of life.

Take Pang Nai Seng, for instance, who shows that age is truly just a number - At 92 years old, he still lifts regularly.

Regular at Bedok ActiveSG gym

In a Facebook post by Raji Rajas on Saturday, June 16, she wrote about her encounter with an elderly man in the Bedok ActiveSG gym.

She noticed that he was a regular there, and according to some gym users, they told her that the man claimed to have been a winner in Singapore Bodybuilding.

After the man was done doing some "serious bench presses," she decided to speak to him to find out more.

She found out that he was none other than Pang Nai Seng, the veteran bodybuilder.

Pang Nai Seng

Back in 1967, Pang was the first Singaporean bodybuilder to represent Singapore in the World Championship at Montreal.

By then, he had already won some titles in Singapore and Malaysia, including Mr. Ironman and Mr. Singapore.

But the 29-year-old was hungry for more, and decided to pit himself against the best in the world.

Pang's dream? To win the Class 2 title and inspire other Singapore bodybuilders to train for international contests.

Even though he did not emerge victorious, he clinched fourth place and wrote Singapore into the history books.

This was a Straits Times article of him on May 23, 1967:

Photo from Newspaper SG

Still gyms frequently

Now aged 92, Pang shows no signs of letting up.

Currently an avid gym rat, Raji wrote that Pang is an "inspiration" and she is "determined to learn a lot more from him."

Raji also shared a portion of their conversation, in which Pang expressed his willingness to guide her:

Uncle Pang: I see you train people good. How old are you?

Me: Thank you uncle. I'm 54.

Uncle Pang: Not sure of anything, ask me. I will teach you some more.

"Nobody recognises me"

After a 20 minute chat with Pang, Raji requested to take a selfie with him.

Raji said that he appeared a bit sad that nobody recognises him anymore because he is old. Pang also asked her to "show [his] picture to people" so they know who he is.

"I'll be very happy to do that. Please show my picture to people that I'm Pang Nai Seng the bodybuilder and also a bodybuilding judge. Nobody recognises me because I'm old."

In her post, Raji wrote that we glorify celebrities from other countries. However, our "local legends should never be forgotten:"

"Our local legends should never be forgotten. We idolise and glorify celebrities from other countries and forget our own unsung heroes right at our doorstep."

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This is her post:

 

Top photo from Raji Rajas' Facebook and Newspaper SG.

 

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