CONGRESS INTERNATIONAL

LITHUANIA AND THE INTERNATIONAL BODYBUILDING MOVEMENT

The First International Bodybuilding Congresses in Lithuania

From the Restoration of Independence to International Leadership

The restoration of the independence of the Republic of Lithuania in 1990–1991 marked not only a profound political transformation, but also the beginning of a new era in Lithuanian sport.

After decades within the Soviet sports system, Lithuanian sporting organizations faced the difficult task of rebuilding their national structures, establishing independent international contacts and securing recognition within the global sporting community.

Bodybuilding was among the sports in which this process became particularly visible.

In May 1991, with the support and mediation of the Ministry of Sports of the Republic of Lithuania and personally Minister Algirdas Raslanas, the Lithuanian National Bodybuilding Association (LNKA) was officially registered at the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania. The initiative and organizational work behind its establishment were undertaken by Edmundas Daubaras.

For Lithuania, this was more than the creation of another sports organization. It represented an important step toward restoring an independent national presence in international bodybuilding.

The Struggle for International Recognition

The foundations for this development had been laid even before the formal restoration of Lithuanian independence.

In December 1990, Edmundas Daubaras travelled to New York, where he held discussions with Ben Weider, then President of the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness (IFBB). The objective was clear: to secure recognition for Lithuanian bodybuilding and to enable Lithuanian athletes to enter the international arena independently of the Soviet bodybuilding structure.

At that time, however, Ben Weider declined to recognize Lithuania's independence and would not accept Lithuanian bodybuilders into IFBB outside the Soviet federation structure.

Faced with this position, LNKA turned to the National Amateur Body-Builders' Association (NABBA) and began developing international cooperation through that organization.

The decision quickly produced tangible results.

At the NABBA European Championships in France, Lithuanian athletes Natalija Murnikovienė and Rolandas Bučinskas won European titles. Even more importantly from a political and sporting perspective, NABBA formally recognized the independence of Lithuania and the Lithuanian National Olympic Committee from the Soviet Union.

The political situation changed dramatically following the failed August coup in Moscow in 1991. During these decisive months, however, the Lithuanian SSR bodybuilding federation, led by Roman Kalinauskas, Vice-President of the USSR Bodybuilding Federation, did not support Edmundas Daubaras's initiatives and continued to await developments in Moscow.

The subsequent course of events demonstrated how closely the development of Lithuanian sport was connected with the country's broader struggle to establish its independent international identity.

Klaipėda: A New International Sporting Hub

The next major stage began in Klaipėda.

The international Amber Prize bodybuilding tournaments held in Klaipėda in 1994 and 1995 proved highly successful. Their growing international reputation led to an ambitious decision: the 1996 NABBA European Championships would be held in Klaipėda.

The choice was significant. A city on Lithuania's Baltic coast, recently emerged from the Soviet system, was now preparing to welcome athletes, officials and sports leaders from across Europe.

The international momentum continued.

The 1997 European Championships were held in Vilnius, while 1998 saw the WFF World Championships staged in Palanga.

These were major international sporting events for Lithuania. They received the support and financial backing of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, while television coverage was provided by Eurosport, including reports lasting up to an hour.

The level of hospitality offered to participants was equally remarkable for the period. International guests and Lithuanian athletes were accommodated and provided with meals free of charge in hotels in Klaipėda, Palanga and Vilnius.

The message was unmistakable: Lithuania was no longer merely seeking a place in international bodybuilding. It was becoming a host, organizer and active participant in the international development of the sport.

THE BIRTH OF INTERNATIONAL CONGRESSES IN LITHUANIA

The championships were accompanied by another development of lasting importance.

Prior to the 1996 and 1997 European Championships, international bodybuilding congresses were organized in Lithuania. These gatherings brought together leaders and representatives of bodybuilding organizations from numerous countries.

The congresses were not simply administrative meetings held to coordinate competitions.

They became forums for discussing the future of bodybuilding, the development of international organizations and the emergence of new sporting disciplines.

One of the most significant subjects was the future of fitness.

At the time, organized fitness was still in its formative stages internationally. Edmundas Daubaras argued that fitness had the potential to develop along an independent path rather than remaining merely a subdivision of bodybuilding.

This vision would prove consequential.

Over the following decades, fitness increasingly established itself as a distinct international sporting discipline. The separation of the two disciplines continued to develop, ultimately reaching a new stage with the 2024 World Championships in Nida, when fitness was formally separated from bodybuilding within the organizational framework described by the WFF-WBBF movement.

THE 1996 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS – KLAIPĖDA

The 1996 congress brought together representatives of 15 countries.

The congress leadership included Edmundas Daubaras, Richardas Krinickis, a multiple winner of the Amber Prize tournament and head of the State Control Committee, and German representative Klaus Hofmann.

The participating delegations were:

• France – Serge Delselle;
• Estonia – Vladimir Jelufimov;
• Israel – Alex Stuknov;
• Ukraine – Yuri Yeriomenko, Gennady Dern;
• Russia – Vladimir Shubov, Nikolai Nikulin;
• Czech Republic – Bob Divilek;
• Belgium – Roland Block;
• Greece – Anargiros Tsopouridis;
• United Kingdom – Jim Charles, Alan Gordon;
• Latvia – Maris Šveiduks, Aivars Visockis;
• Italy – Paola and Filippo Massaroni;
• Bulgaria – Zdravko Ivanov;
• Belarus – Georgy Katulin;
• Lithuania – Yuri Stepanov, Saulius Kirmelevičius.

The gathering was significant because it brought together representatives from countries that only a few years earlier had occupied very different positions within the European political and sporting landscape.

In this sense, the congress in Klaipėda was itself a reflection of the changing map of European sport.

THE 1997 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS – VILNIUS

The following year, the international congress moved to Lithuania's capital.

In 1997, representatives met in the conference hall of the Villon Hotel in Vilnius, one of the city's prestigious venues at the time.

The international leadership structure had also developed. Klaus Hofmann served as President of the International NABBA Association, while Edmundas Daubaras served as its Vice-President.

The 1997 congress expanded its international representation to 17 countries.

The congress leadership consisted of Edmundas Daubaras and Klaus Hofmann.

The participating representatives were:

• Greece – Anargoros Tsopouridis, Dora Tsopouridis;
• United Kingdom – Alan Gordon;
• Ukraine – Vasily Bespalenko;
• Russia – Vladimir Shubov;
• Czech Republic – František Zamola, Bob Divilek;
• Belarus – Fidelis Sedykh, Georgy Katulin;
• France – Jose Martinez, Eleonora Jauks;
• Germany – Tamara Konz, Andreas Muller;
• Belgium – Roland Block;
• Italy – Filippo Massaroni;
• Switzerland – Jimmy Largis;
• Latvia – Maris Šveiduks, Aivars Visockis;
• Estonia – Aleksander Selnichinas;
• Austria – Karin Rosner;
• Israel – Victoria Miller, Elli Hanna;
• Netherlands – Karl Aartaas;
• Lithuania – Saulius Kirmelevičius.

The Vilnius congress confirmed that Lithuania had become an established meeting point for international bodybuilding leaders.

The significance of these gatherings extended beyond the competitions themselves. They created a platform where representatives from different countries could exchange ideas, establish contacts and consider the long-term development of bodybuilding and fitness.

THE CREATION OF THE WORLD FITNESS FEDERATION

The international discussions taking place in Lithuania coincided with another important development.

In **1995, Edmundas Daubaras and German bodybuilding leader Klaus Hofmann initiated the establishment of the World Fitness Federation (WFF).

The organization initially operated under a dual-presidency structure. Edmundas Daubaras represented the countries of the East, while Klaus Hofmann represented the West.

This arrangement reflected the geopolitical realities of the period. Europe was emerging from decades of political division, and international sports organizations were themselves adapting to a rapidly changing environment.

The WFF provided a framework in which representatives from different regions could cooperate within a common international sporting structure.

In 2003, after Klaus Hofmann withdrew from active involvement in the WFF, Edmundas Daubaras continued as the organization's leading figure.

A VISION THAT OUTLIVED THE ERA

Looking back, the international bodybuilding congresses held in Lithuania in 1996 and 1997 can be understood as more than historical episodes surrounding European Championships.

They were part of a broader transformation.

For Lithuania, they represented the country's return to the international sporting community after decades of Soviet control. For international bodybuilding, they provided a meeting place where organizations from different parts of Europe and beyond could establish new relationships and discuss the future of the sport.

Most importantly, they became a forum for ideas.

Among those ideas was the conviction that fitness could and should develop as an independent international sporting discipline. What initially appeared to be a forward-looking concept gradually became a reality as fitness established its own identity, competitions and organizational structures.

LITHUANIA'S PLACE IN INTERNATIONAL SPORTING HISTORY

The history of Lithuanian bodybuilding in the 1990s should therefore be viewed in a broader context.

It was not simply a story about national championships, individual athletes or the organization of competitions. It was part of Lithuania's return to the international community.

In a relatively short period, Lithuania progressed from rebuilding its national bodybuilding structures to hosting European and World Championships, organizing international congresses and participating in the creation of new international sporting organizations.

Klaipėda, Vilnius and Palanga became venues where athletes, officials and sports leaders from many countries met at a time of profound change in European history.

The international congresses of 1996 and 1997 remain an important chapter in this story.

They demonstrate how sport can become an instrument of international cooperation and how a newly independent country can, within a remarkably short period, move from seeking international recognition to actively shaping the future of a global sporting movement.

Lithuania was not merely returning to the international bodybuilding arena. It was helping to build a new chapter in it.