UAE bodybuilders win 10 medals and three overall world titles
The UAE national bodybuilding and fitness team has won 10 medals and three overall champion titles at the IFBB World Championships in Spain, held from October 30 to November 1.
The medal tally comprised five golds, three silvers and two bronzes, with athletes succeeding across bodybuilding, classic bodybuilding and physique divisions.
Three athletes earn overall champion honours
Rashid Mohammed Al Habsi won gold in men’s physique at 176cm, Tariq Mousa Mubarak took the masters physique title, and Abdullah Mubarak Al Mutairi won masters classic bodybuilding. All three also secured overall champion honours.
An overall title adds another stage of comparison to a category victory. Under IFBB competition rules, winners from individual classes compete against one another to determine the overall champion within the relevant discipline or division.
That distinction gives the UAE’s result particular significance: the three athletes progressed beyond winning their own classes to earn recognition in the wider overall comparisons.
Abdullah Al Marzouqi takes two gold medals
Abdullah Hassan Al Marzouqi contributed two golds, winning in both masters and men’s bodybuilding.
Masters competition gives older athletes their own age-group divisions, while retaining the technical demands of the discipline. Competitors must present their physiques through the required rounds and comparisons, with judges assessing the package each athlete brings to the stage.
The presence of masters and men’s categories also helps explain the structure of a championship medal tally. One athlete can contribute more than one result, as Al Marzouqi did for the UAE in Spain.
Silver and bronze complete the podium results
Silver medals went to Khalid Bakhit Al Falasi in masters bodybuilding at 80kg, Abdullah Ahmed Al Falasi in men’s physique at 170cm, and Abdullah Ali Al Khattal Al Mehairi in masters physique.
Ahmed Hassan Sulaiman Rustam earned bronze in bodybuilding at 85kg, while Mohammed Issa Al Baloushi took bronze in the 65kg category.
The different skills behind the results
The disciplines represented in the UAE’s medal haul involve distinct approaches to judging and presentation.
In men’s physique, assessment centres on an athletic appearance, balanced proportions, symmetry and the competitor’s presentation. Quarter turns allow judges to compare athletes from several angles, making posture and the ability to display a physique effectively part of the performance.
Classic bodybuilding combines muscular development with a focus on proportion, shape and condition. Weight limits are linked to height, creating a framework within which athletes must develop a balanced physique.
Its assessment includes muscle definition and detail, alongside the overall lines of the body. Posing rounds give competitors an opportunity to demonstrate those qualities, including through individual routines performed to music.
These distinctions give context to the team’s success across several divisions. Each category asks athletes to meet a particular set of standards, with judging extending from physical development to how that development is presented on stage.
Attention turns to the Asian Championships
Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Saif Al Sharqi, Chairman of the UAE Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation, praised the athletes and the technical and administrative teams.
He urged the squad to maintain its readiness for the upcoming Asian Championships, keeping preparation in focus after the world championship results.
