42 yr old SAP Lance Naik bags bronze at Eastern India bodybuilding championship

GANGTOK, 06 April: Sikkim Police has congratulated Lance Naik Pema Dorjee Bhutia of Sikkim Armed Police for having flexed impressively enough bagged the bronze medal for Sikkim at the 7th Eastern India National Bodybuilding Championship held earlier this month in Jharkhand. Mr. Bhutia competes in the 75 kg weight category.
At 42, Mr. Bhutia has turned many notions about bodybuilding and even fitness on their head, dispelling the belief that bodybuilding, at least competitive bodybuilding, was a ‘younger’ man’s sport. What is more, he arrived at bodybuilding at an age when most bodybuilders are peaking. He was 32 when started sculpting his physique to compete. Mr Bhutia is also a certified trainer from the National School of Bodybuilding and Nutrition, Jalundhar, Punjab.
Speaking to media persons yesterday, he shared that he was inspired to take up bodybuilding by the then SAP Commandant, Akshay Sachdeva, in the year 2002. As mentioned, he was 32 at the time and within a year of working out in the gym, was taking part in the competitions. He also thanked his family, colleagues and friends for supporting and encouraging him in his pursuit.
With reference to his continuing passion with bodybuilding, Mr Bhutia hoped that the youngsters will take inspiration from his experience and pursue health and fitness, if not bodybuilding, with more earnestness instead of hiding behind excuses of lack of time or motivation. Towards this, he has invited any interest youth to contact him for free consultation on fitness and nutrition. He is a certified trainer, remember.
And he is also an experience veteran now, having participated in the Mr Sikkim contest 10 times, starting in 2002 itself, and having won 6 gold medals in his weight category. He was crowned Mr Sikkim in 2009 and stood 10th in the Senior Nationals Mr India contest held in Goa in 2010. His other crowns include second place for three consecutive years - 2005 to 2007 - at the Mr Himalaya BB Championship in Kalimpong and a third position in the Mr North Bengal BB Championship at Siliguri. Earlier this year in January, he bagged the third position in the Mr. Himalaya Classic BB championship. Mr Bhutia is also a two-time gold medalist - 2008 and 2009 - of the state-level weight-lifting competition.