2009 New Zealand IFBB Pro Cancelled?
We hate to be all negative, and have zero proof nor confirmation of this - but is the 2009 New Zealand Pro cancelled? The show [both figure and bodybuilding] has been removed from the official contest calendar on the IFBB website. We have been hearing of numerous issues plaguing the organisation, but nothing official.
The show was scheduled to be held on March 15 - which is the day after the 2009 Australian Grand Prix. This in effect left under 24 hrs to travel from Melbourne, Australia to Auckland, New Zealand. The timing issue we had heard was causing issues of getting the pros in. Talk of paying expenses of the top 5 Arnold Classic Figure competitors was also bandied about - an estimated cost of approximately $10,000 AU - an amount that combined with the sanction, prize money and logistical fees, would most likely prove hard to expect a return on.
The older [cached] version of the website:
The present version of the website:
Again, we actually know nothing, have no confirmation and this is not a fact - we are merely making suppositions based on what we have heard and the removal of the show from the official website.
Edit: We have now confirmed this with two reliable sources.
Blind Freddy could see this coming, this comes as no surprise to me.
Why didn’t they make it with more time to get over from the AUS GP would have been more sensible
The same weekend for both shows was doomed from the start.
By the way, that was my first post, as per usual I forgot to put my name on it.
I’ll get used to this bloody site one day!
I was skeptical personally when they added figure, that seemed to be overreaching. Of course it would be great to see a female pro show over this side, but really it’s easier said then done - if was easy Tony Doherty would have prolly done it way back.
Mind you, I still see no official cancellation and this is all supposition on our part. Seems so likely though that I figured may as well print it - not to be a naysayer, but that’s the way it seems