A 25-year-old man from Bengaluru has won the Mr Asia 2016 title at the Phil-Asia body building championship in the Philippines. G Balakrishna said, “I am proud of my achievement and hope to repeat it more often with some financial support.” He was a gym instructor before he started his water tanker business in 2010, The Hindu reported.

A resident of Ramagondanahalli near Varthur, Balakrishna practises for around six hours every day. He has two trainers, one from Mumbai and the other from Punjab, to help him with his work out. “I am maintaining my position with a rich daily diet that includes 750 g of chicken, 25 eggs, 300 g of rice, 200 g of vegetables along with fish for extra protein and fruits,” he said. He weighs around 120 kg off-season, which is maintained at around 90kg during competitions.

“Despite winning the championship, my worry will always be of funds. With no government support, I still struggle to participate in bodybuilding championships outside the country,” Balakrishna said. He won the Mr Universe Under-24 junior title in 2013 in Germany and became Mr Universe in the same category at the world championship in Greece in 2014.