Who will emerge the strongest man?

The South African Strongman Union (Sasu) hosts various national amateur strongman competitions across the country, and one of these competitions is coming to President Square visitors and shoppers.

The second National Amateur Strongman Competition at President Square kicks off on Saturday 9 May at 10am. Among the challenges the athletes will face is the popular Car Deadlift where each contestant will lift the back of a car weighing 300kg as many times as possible in 60 seconds.

There will also be the Farmers Walk, the Yoke Carry of 300kg, Truck Pull and Atlas Stones for repetitions over a 1,2-metre bar.

The top three athletes at the amateur strongman competition event will go on to compete at the next Sasu open class competition and from there could be invited to SA Strongest Man 2015, which will be held at the Rossi Classis on 18 and 19 September at the Heartfelt Arena in Pretoria.

Sasu is the only Strongman Union in SA that is recognised and affiliated to the international bodies, with Strongman Champions League and Giants Live both being part of World Strongest Man and unions in other countries around the world. Sasu is a non-profit sporting union that does not get any assistance from government or any other big charity companies.

“Through sponsorships we have held over 95 national competitions all over South Africa, we have established a armature division through which new and upcoming athletes get to go on a training session with pro athletes and develop themselves to compete on national level. For the past 20 years Sasu hosted the annual SA Strongest Man competition and they have had eight athletes compete internationally at the Giants Life and World Strongest Man competition,” said Frans Pretorius of Sasu.

Shoppers will see Ettiene Smit and Frankie Scheun in action. Ettiene has won the SA Strongest Man title seven times and was rated top 10 in the world in 2012. Frankie has won the SA Strongest Man title in 2012, is rated Southern Hemisphere Strongest Man two years in a row in countries like Australia, New Zeeland and those in the southern parts of Africa.

Frankie who resides on the West Rand is ranked fifth in the world in the under-105kg category, he is the current SA under-105kg SA Strongest Man and is the current Southern Hemisphere Strongest Man. This year in April Gerhard van Staden will represent South Africa again at the World’s Strongest Man competition. As you can see from all of the above they are the real deal, and their website and Facebook profile speak for themselves.

“We invite the public to compete and get to know the sport and most importantly the techniques. We are open to sponsorships as we are busy with sports development and training programmes.”

For more information contact Frans on 079 898 8154 or via email at sastrongmanunion@gmail.com or visit Sasu’s website at www.sastrongmanunion.co.za.