Doha: Amateur bodybuilder Nasser Al Maslamani made the country proud by winning the maiden Joe Weider’s Mr Olympia 2015 competition for Qatar in Liverpool, UK recently.
Al Maslamani who is also the Director of Human Resources at the Qatar Stars League (QSL) competed in 95kg category and defeated the world’s top amateur bodybuilders to become the first ever Qatari national to win the prestigious competition.
Al Maslamani wanted to recognise the support and backing of his company, the QSL, who allowed him to represent Qatar and follow his dream.
“I must say the Qatar Stars League have been fantastic and were enthusiastic in wanting to help me achieve success, albeit in a different sport. I thank them and appreciate all that they have done for me,” said the amateur bodybuilder. “It’s a great example of how companies can support their employees to achieve their personal dreams,” he added.
Nasser who trains at Any time Fitness in Doha was the country’s only representative in the 95kg bodybuilding category and overcame opposition from across the globe to claim the coveted Joe Weider Mr Olympia Amateur Gold Medal.
All the gold medallists from the various weight categories then competed against each other for the title of overall champion and a the chance to secure the IFBB professional card.
Al Maslamani came agonisingly close and just missed out by finishing second but said: “I am delighted and honoured to win the Gold medal for Qatar and to be the first ever Qatari national to win the coveted Joe Weider Mr Olympia Amateur title,” he said.
“My goal is to become the first Qatari professional bodybuilder and to put Qatar on the map. Although I won the Gold medal for my category, I just missed out on the overall title, which if I had won, would have given me the IFBB pro card to compete at the highest level of the sport.”
Al Maslamani was keen to highlight the transformative nature that the sport of bodybuilding had on his own life.
The 33-year-old Qatari spoke about how bodybuilding turned him from an obese teen into a disciplined, motivated and hardworking athlete.
“I initially joined a gym to combat my weight issues and instead of just becoming fitter, I found that I changed as a person, I engrossed myself in the lifestyle and gained an insight into the world of health and fitness. I learned about food and how to have a healthy and balanced diet that would complement my training and my life in general,” he said.
Al Maslamani trains six days a week and is disciplined and consistent with his nutritional diet on daily basis.
He conveyed his personal support to encourage aspiring future athletes in bodybuilding.
The Joe Weider Mr Olympia (Amateur) competition is the premier amateur bodybuilding competition in the world.
The competition is managed by the International Federation of Bodybuilding (IFBB) and is the highest level of amateur bodybuilding.
In order to become a professional bodybuilder an athlete must win the best overall category in an IFBB ranked event.
THE PENINSULA
