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+--- Thread: WORLD BODY BUILDING FEDERATION (WBBF) (/showthread.php?tid=76)
RE: WORLD BODY BUILDING FEDERATION (WBBF) - WFF/WBBF Secretary - 11-03-2026
THEY BANNED BODYBUILDING.
HE HELD THE COMPETITIONS ANYWAY.
From illegal competitions in Soviet Lithuania to a Pope’s medal in the Vatican — a story that sounds almost impossible today
1976. Soviet Lithuania.
Bodybuilding was banned.
The authorities did not want it. The system regarded it as something foreign, suspicious and unnecessary.
But someone decided that a ban would not be the final word.
Edmundas Daubaras began organizing bodybuilding competitions.
Public competitions.
At the time — illegal in the eyes of the authorities.
And this is where a story began that, decades later, would lead from Lithuania to Moscow — and ultimately to the Vatican.
NOT IN A GYM. AGAINST THE SYSTEM.
Today, bodybuilding competitions seem completely ordinary.
A stage. Spotlights. Athletes. Judges. Medals.
But in Soviet Lithuania, everything was different.
In 1976–1977, organizing public bodybuilding competitions meant challenging the system.
Athletes wanted to train.
They wanted to compete.
They wanted to demonstrate the results of their work.
And the system said: no.
The answer was simple:
“The competitions will take place anyway.”
And they did.
In Klaipėda, the authorities later permitted bodybuilding competitions to be held.
But that was not the end of the story.
It was only the beginning.
1978. A PETITION — TO MOSCOW
When organizing competitions was no longer enough, an even bolder step was taken.
In 1978, Edmundas Daubaras wrote a petition defending bodybuilding.
And he did not take it to some local authority.
Not to a sports club.
Not to a newspaper editorial office.
He took it to Moscow. To the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
It was an attempt to address the system itself.
Directly.
Without intermediaries.
To demand recognition of the right of a sport to exist — a sport to which the system had imposed restrictions.
Today, individual circumstances of that period may be interpreted in different ways. But one fact cannot be denied:
A man living under the Soviet system chose to openly defend something that the system sought to restrict.
DECADES PASSED.
Time changed the world.
The Soviet Union disappeared.
The Iron Curtain fell.
Bodybuilding became an international sport.
And a story that had once been associated with bans and state control eventually reached a completely different place.
The Vatican.
2011. THE VATICAN.
During an official reception for WFF-WBBF leaders at the Vatican, representatives of the Catholic Church were introduced to this history.
They learned about the position of bodybuilding under the communist system.
About the bans.
About the first competitions.
About the petition to Moscow.
About the activities of Edmundas Daubaras.
And then something happened that nobody at the beginning of this story could have predicted.
Cardinal Jozef Tomko described Edmundas Daubaras’s actions toward the communist regime as dissident in nature.
And there was more.
Edmundas Daubaras was awarded a medal of Pope Benedict XVI.
Later, the WFF-WBBF federation received an official letter from the Vatican blessing the federation’s activities.
From illegal competitions in Soviet Lithuania — to the Vatican.
From prohibition — to blessing.
Could there be a more striking historical irony?
60 YEARS. AND ONE EXTRAORDINARY STORY.
Today, WFF-WBBF celebrates its 60th anniversary.
Six decades of sporting history.
But among the countless dates, championships, athletes and titles, there is one story that stands out.
Because it did not begin under comfortable circumstances.
Not in a free country.
Not at a time when everything was permitted.
It began when people had to fight for the very right to organize bodybuilding competitions.
And that is precisely why this story deserves to be remembered.
BECAUSE SOMETIMES A MEDAL IS NOT FOR MUSCLES.
In sports history, medals are usually awarded for victories.
For records.
For championship titles.
But in this story, the medal presented at the Vatican carried an entirely different meaning.
It became a symbolic recognition of the work of a man who began acting at a time when even the right to organize bodybuilding competitions could not be taken for granted.
1976–1977 — illegal competitions.
1978 — petition to Moscow.
2011 — the Vatican.
Medal of Pope Benedict XVI.
Recognition by Cardinal Jozef Tomko.
Official Vatican blessing of WFF-WBBF activities.
That is the journey.
And so, as the federation marks its 60th anniversary, one can say it very simply:
WHEN THE SYSTEM SAID “NO” — SPORT SAID “YES.”
And history remembered it.
RE: WORLD BODY BUILDING FEDERATION (WBBF) - WFF/WBBF Secretary - 11-04-2026
WFF-WBBF LEADS THE WAY IN SPORTS INNOVATION.
Mini-Trampolines – A New Sport for Everyone.
The World WFF-WBBF Federation, which began its activities in 1968, currently unites athletes and organizations from 141 countries around the world. Throughout its long history, the Federation has become one of the pioneers of international sports innovation, continuously developing new, attractive, and accessible forms of physical activity for people of different ages and backgrounds.
The history of WFF-WBBF is rich in significant sporting innovations. The Federation has contributed to the development of Classic Bodybuilding, the children's “Fit-Kids” program, the Fitness Model category, and many other sporting disciplines. In recent years, the program of international competitions has been expanded to include such innovative disciplines as Aerial Acrobatics Fitness, Pole Dance Fitness, Kangoo Dance Fitness, Step Aerobics Fitness, Martial Arts Fitness, Sports Model Fitness, and other new sporting directions.
One of the newest and fastest-growing sporting disciplines within WFF-WBBF is Mini-Trampoline Fitness.
Over the past three years, Mini-Trampoline Fitness has been successfully featured at top-level international WFF-WBBF competitions. This discipline is distinguished by its dynamism and the combination of coordination, endurance, physical fitness, and artistic performance. Mini-trampolines offer opportunities for people of various age groups to participate in sports, giving this discipline considerable potential for further development on the international sporting stage.
At the 2026 WFF-WBBF international competitions, among various age groups and qualification categories, the absolute world champion in the Mini-Trampoline Fitness division was Polish athlete Katarzyna Małgorzata Rybak.
Her victory once again confirmed that Mini-Trampoline Fitness is becoming an increasingly important part of international sport, opening up new opportunities for athletes and coaches alike.
The WFF-WBBF Federation continues to consistently develop new sporting disciplines, aiming to promote an active lifestyle, encourage sporting creativity, and provide as many people as possible with the opportunity to discover the joy of sport.
For more detailed information about the activities of the WFF-WBBF Federation, international competitions, and sporting innovations, please visit:
www.wff.lt
www.worldfitness.lt
RE: WORLD BODY BUILDING FEDERATION (WBBF) - WFF/WBBF Secretary - 11-05-2026
JAPANESE WFF-WBBF FEDERATION
LITHUANIAN EMBASSY SUPPORTS INTERNATIONAL SPORT IN JAPAN
JAPANESE ATHLETE ACHIEVES HISTORIC TRIUMPH AT THE 2026 WFF-WBBF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN NIDA
The World WFF-WBBF Federation, whose history dates back to 1968, currently unites athletes and national sports organizations from 141 countries around the world. Throughout more than five decades of activity, the Federation has established itself as an important international sports organization, actively promoting new sporting disciplines, introducing innovative competition formats, and strengthening international sports cooperation.
JAPANESE ATHLETES' JOURNEY TO INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
Although Asian athletes have been participating in the international activities of the WFF-WBBF Federation for more than four decades, the appearance of Japanese representatives on the international competition stage became a particularly significant event only in 2025.
That year, Japanese athlete Toru Fukutomi made his breakthrough into the international sports elite by becoming the Overall Winner of the 26th International "Universe" Tournament. His victory opened a new chapter in the history of Japanese WFF-WBBF sport.
However, the international achievements of Japanese athletes did not end there.
In 2026, at the WFF-WBBF Amateur World Championship held in Nida, Lithuania, Japanese representative Iori Nishizawa achieved an outstanding victory, becoming the Overall World Champion!
This remarkable triumph not only strengthened the position of Japanese athletes within the international WFF-WBBF arena but also earned Iori Nishizawa the right to receive a Professional Card. He crowned his impressive performance with another major achievement, becoming the winner of the 17th "WFF-WBBF Pro World Cup".
Within an exceptionally short period, Japanese athletes demonstrated outstanding competitive skills and proved their ability to compete for the most prestigious international titles.
AN EXAMPLE OF SPORTING COOPERATION BETWEEN LITHUANIA AND JAPAN
Preparations for this international success had already begun in Japan. Before travelling to Lithuania, Iori Nishizawa organized a national WFF-WBBF competition in his home country. The event became an important milestone in the activities of the Japanese Federation and in the development of the sport in Japan.
The support of the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Japan gave this event particular significance. The Embassy was among the sponsors of the national competition, contributing to the development of international sporting cooperation.
The support provided by Lithuania's diplomatic representation in Japan for WFF-WBBF sporting events represents an important example of cooperation between Lithuania and Japan.
Sport is not merely an arena for high-level athletic competition. It is also an important instrument for strengthening international relations, friendship, and mutual understanding.
The success of Japanese athletes in Lithuania and the support provided by the Lithuanian Embassy in Japan symbolically brought the two countries together within the international sporting community.
A NEW CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF JAPANESE WFF-WBBF SPORT
The achievements of Toru Fukutomi and Iori Nishizawa mark a new stage in the development of the Japanese WFF-WBBF Federation.
In just two years, Japanese athletes have succeeded in winning the highest international titles and establishing themselves among the world's sporting elite.
The 2026 World Championship in Nida became not only the stage for Iori Nishizawa's personal triumph but also an important milestone in the international recognition of Japanese sport.
The international activities of the WFF-WBBF Federation, the achievements of Japanese athletes, and the support of the Lithuanian Embassy once again demonstrate that sport knows no geographical boundaries.
Sport brings nations together, encourages international cooperation, and creates new chapters in the history of international friendship.
For further information about the activities of the World WFF-WBBF Federation, international championships, athletes' achievements, and the organization's history, please visit:
www.wff.lt