‘400 bodybuilders from around the world to compete in Amman’

AMMAN — Around 400 bodybuilders from around the world will convene in Amman in November for the “Mr Olympia” bodybuilding championship, organisers said on Wednesday. 

Hosting the championship will boost the culture of sports in Jordan and offer Jordanian bodybuilders a chance to participate in an international competition, said Fayez Abu Arida, head of the bodybuilding and fitness committee. 

The championship will be held at Amman’s Prince Hamzah Hall at Al Hussein Sports City, scheduled on November 18 and 19, according to organisers.

“We are gradually placing Jordan on the international map of sports. After the success recorded at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, we are hosting the bodybuilding championship,” Abu Arida said at a press conference in the capital. 

More than 9,000 people are expected to attend the two-day championship to support their favourite players and learn more about the game, he said. 

“Bodybuilding needs the support of organisations and official departments. We should focus more on individual sports and athletes,” Abu Arida added.

He advised participants and bodybuilders to stay away from steroids for championships or daily workouts since they have long-term negative impacts on the athlete’s physical and psychological states.

American bodybuilder and four-time winner of the Mr Olympia championship Jay Cutler said the important part about participating in the championship is to maintain a positive attitude towards the game.

“I started training at the age of 18, not with the mindset of becoming a bodybuilder but I wanted to just feel better about myself. I found myself changing and seeing results at the gym and started with competitions,” he said.

Cutler won the first championship he took part in, but losing in 2008 only gave him more motivation to practice, he said, adding that he went on to win the 2009 championship.

“It’s about your lifestyle; bodybuilding and fitness are a way of life… It’s not something that happens overnight, it’s a long-term [process],” he told reporters.

“These people here have a huge opportunity — they have all the bodybuilding activities; we never really had that push. Bringing the Olympia here is a huge step and a great opportunity,” Cutler added.

Oun Kabariti, CEO of KABS Fit Factory, which is organising the event in cooperation with the Greater Amman Municipality, the Ministry of Youth, and the National Commission for Body Building and Fitness, said preparations have been under way for more than six months, through contacts with the international and local bodybuilding federations.

Bodybuilders will participate from Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Northwest Africa, Gulf countries, Nigeria, Armenia, Asia and Europe, Kabariti said.