Pak bans all bodybuilding events after four deaths

Lahore, April 24 

Pakistan has cancelled all bodybuilding competitions in the country after four prominent bodybuilders died allegedly due to “excessive use of steroids” in the Punjab province this month. The Pakistan Body Building Federation (PBBF) has taken the decision to regulate the body building and fitness clubs 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,” PBBF president Farooq Sheikh said.

He said the federation has written to the clubs asking them to refrain from using banned medicines. From now onwards, the federation would conduct dope tests before any competition, he added. 

Three of the four body builders died of sudden heart failure, leaving a trail of questions about how the health clubs operate and what kind of food supplements they recommend.  Most of the regular and recognised bodybuilders’ associations deny encouraging the use of muscle-developing steroids. However, they say individual clubs or trainers may encourage youngsters to use ‘unregulated steroid’. “Dietary regime is essential to bodybuilding. Because the diet is so essential to muscle building, food supplements (frequently steroids) naturally come into play,”  Tipu Sultan, who patronises Bodybuilders Association of Gujranwala Division, said.

“There is hardly a trained and educated dietician at most fitness centres and it is a totally unregulated market where everything and anything is available for money. This only increases the risk for the young people.” 

“The provincial government has directed the district administrations to look into the matter and take necessary steps to prevent such incidents in future,” Salman Rafique, special adviser to Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, said. “We are trying to determine the actual cause of the death of four body builders. Action will be taken against those involved in selling prohibited steroids,” he said. — PTI