Pakistan has cancelled all body building competitions in the country after four prominent bodybuilders died allegedly due to “excessive use of steroids” in the Punjab province this month.
Pakistan Body Building Federation (PBBF) has taken the decision to regulate the body building and fitness clubs across the country on the use of medicines.
All body building competitions have been cancelled till the fitness clubs are regulated about the use of medicines especially steroids.Farooq Sheikh, President - PBBF
Sheikh also added that the federation has written to the clubs refraining them from using the banned medicine and from now on the federation would hold dope test before any competition.
The government’s decision has come after the death of four prominent body builders - Humayun Khurram, a winner of a gold medal in the South Asian Bodybuilding Championship, Matloob Haider and Muhammad Rizwan and Hamid Ali, winner of bronze medal in South Asian contest.
Three of them died of sudden heart failure leaving a trail of questions about how the health clubs operate and what kind of food supplements they frequently recommend.
Most of the regular and recognised bodybuilders’ associations deny encouraging usage of muscle-developing steroids. However, they say individual clubs or trainers may encourage young builders use ‘unregulated steroid’.
“Dietary regime is essential to the bodybuilding business and that also precisely the risk point. Because the diet is so essential to muscle building, food supplements (frequently steroids) naturally come into play,” Tipu Sultan, who patronises Body Builders Association of Gujranwala Division said.
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