Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Youth are increasingly signing up for memberships at private gyms in
Hargeisa, whose number has swelled like a bicep on a bodybuilder.
The boom in local fitness centres is helping to create jobs, promote
good health and lure youths towards positive activities, gym owners and
local officials say.
"Exercising is an entertaining alternative for young people that
takes the place of substance abuse and engaging in organised crime,"
said Hamza Ali Jibril, owner of Golds Gym in Hargeisa.
Abdinur Mohamed Arab, a 24-year-old resident of Hargeisa, said for
the past five months he has worked out al-Khayr fitness centre, where he
trains in self-defence techniques to protect himself against criminal
gangs.
"Since weapons are not allowed, I have been forced to learn how to
defend myself and my property," he told Sabahi. "I have benefited by
learning how to defend myself on my own against a group of attackers."
Gyms promote good health and well-being, said Mustafa Mohamed Qodah,
director general at Somaliland's Ministry of Youth and Sports. Fitness
centres distract youth from drug abuse and taking part in gang-related
crimes, he said.
The majority of the gyms, however, are operating illegally. "Even
though fitness centres have multiplied lately, only two of them are
registered with the ministry," Qodah told Sabahi. "[Gyms] are required
to register with the Sports Ministry to ensure that they are using
appropriate equipment that will not harm users."
Mushrooming gym scene:
One of the first local fitness centres was Bilkhair Gym. When it
opened five years ago, its only competition was Horyaal fitness centre.
"However, in the last two years, these kinds of centres have
increased and there are now about fifty," said Abdiqani Jama Ali, an
instructor at Bilkhair.
"I can say that this is an opportunity for business, job creation and
certainly for improving public health through sports," Ali told Sabahi.
"Ninety-percent of these centres have been opened by young people we
trained here."
Bilkhair Gym now has about 500 members -- mainly young men and women
who participate in fitness classes and weight training, but also older
people who exercise to get in better shape, become healthy and ward off
illnesses, Ali said.
The centre offers memberships ranging from three to 10 months. The
gym stays open 15 hours a day and charges a monthly fee of $11. The
classes are segregated between the sexes, and women members are assigned
a female instructor.
Private fitness centres also have spread to other cities, such as
Burao, Borama, Berbera and Gabiley. "Some [new gym owners] come to us
for advice on how to open the business or instructions for classes," Ali
said.
Jibril, owner of Golds Gym, said he opened his centre "to provide the
public with beneficial fitness services and to capitalise on a new
business [concept] in the country".
Although Jibril has so far not recouped the $20,000 he invested in
equipment about 18 months ago, he said Golds Gym, which started with
four members, now has 80 members who each pay $15 monthly for
membership.
"This [business] is better than other businesses because it is not
dealing in goods that will expire or be damaged and you are not selling
problematic goods," he said.