1st world amateur men's bodybuilding championships-Mekdachi finishes fifth in heavyweight division |14 November 2009
Winner of the Seychelles Amateur Bodybuilding Association (Sabba) Open, Mr Regatta, and Mr Seychelles titles, Mekdachi beat six other posers in the heavyweight division won by Austrian Christian Klee.
Iranian Alireza Asadollahi, Austrian Michael Zimmermann and Saudi Arabian Balegh Ahmed Al Mhamed were second, third and fourth.
“I’m proud of what I’ve achieved in just one year of bodybuilding. This proves that I’ve been a dedicated bodybuilder,” he told Sports Nation.
“Although I’m happy with my performance, I’m not satisfied with fifth place. I expected at least a third-place finish, but I have to accept the judges’ decision. I also finished ahead of top bodybuilders like Razali Mahmud of Brunei, which is a very good result,” he said.
Mekdachi, who turned 30 on Thursday, added that he will be on the bodybuilding stage again next year.
Four other bodybuilders represented Seychelles in Dubai and they beat tough competitors. They are Jacques-Alain Hoareau (ninth out of 15 in the 70kg), Joelen Valentin (ninth out of 15 in the 80kg category), Fabien Antat (11th out of 15 in the 85kg category) and Nano Camille (seventh out of eight in the 90kg category).
The category winners were Pham Van Mach (Vietnam, light flyweight, U55kg), Yousif Ahmed Hasan (Iraq, flyweight, U60kg), Sazali Abd Samad (Malaysia, bantamweight, U65kg), Tariq Rasheed Saeed Al Zaabee (UAE, lightweight, U70kg), Omar Handhal Hussein (Iraq, welterweight, U75kg), Sitthi Cahroenrith (Thailand, light middleweight, U80kg), Bagher Zaheh Reza (Iran, middleweight, U85kg), Zoltan Toth (Hungary, light heavyweight, U90kg), Christian Klee (Austria, heavyweight, U100kg), and Haghi Fereydonn (Iran, super heavyweight, O100kg).
All winners received US $5,000, runners-up US $3,000, bronze medallists US $2,000, while fourth and fifth placed finalists got $1,000 apiece.
G. G.