Afghans Next Schwarzenegger Slug: Afghan bodybuilding Reporter: Ghayor Waziri Date: 19 August 2013 !

"R#: $oha%%ad &arun 'as na%ed $r Afghanistan at this year(s body building )o%petition* +ody,building has be)o%e Afghanistan(s se)ond %ost popular sport after footballAs Ghayor Waziri reports a gro'ing nu%ber of young people 'ant to be the ne.t $r Afghanistan"/0": S10 12$r Afghanistan festi3al $ore than 20 Afghan athletes 4oin $r Afghanistan body building )o%petition* S10 22$r Afghanistan festi3al announ)e%ent And 30,year,old $uha%%ad &arun is announ)ed as the )ha%pion this year* $uha%%ad )lip15$ale67ersian8 9When 'as on stage and %y na%e 'as announ)ed as the 'inner of $r Afghanistan 2013: feel 3ery happy* (3e drea%t of this title sin)e 'as a )hild* don(t 'ant to stop here* 'ish to 'in and bring %ore a'ards fro% international )o%petition for %y )ountry*; S10 32pra)ti)e bodybuilding in a )lub $uha%%ad &arun has been 'or<ing out his %us)les for the last 10 years* /3ery %orning he )o%es to this sport )lub and e.er)ises for one hour* &e has parti)ipated in %ore than 30 national and international )o%petition and 'on %ost of the%* $uha%%ad )lip 2 5$ale67ersian8 9 'at)h &olly'ood %o3ies and li<e Arnold S)h'arzenegger* /a)h day: got interested 'ith bodybuilding* #n)e started to e.er)ise: de)ided to pra)ti)e really hard = unli<e other athletes 'ho don(t pra)ti)e hard* n 2011 and 2012: 'on the se)ond prize fro% the South Asian )ountries bodybuilding )o%petition*; >nder the "aliban: sports 'as not for e3eryone* Wo%en 'ere stri)tly forbidden to parti)ipate and %en 'ere per%itted to )o%pete only if they 'ere dressed properly* $ansoor +ahadori is a bodybuilding 3eteran*

$ansoor )lip 15$ale: 7ersian8: 91ro% %y e.perien)e under the "aliban: 'e ha3e to 'ear long pants and 'e )ouldn(t sho' our body only 'ith a short* /3ery ti%e people )a%e to 'at)h: they laughed on us*; S10 ?2%usi) inside the body building )lub 32,year,old !isar Ah%ad is a trainer and o'ner of a bodybuilding )lub in @abul* &e says there(s an in)rease of students enrolling no' )o%pared to under the "aliban ti%e* !isar )lip1 5%ale67ersian8 91irst: there(s an in)rease on population* Se)ond: there(s a gro'th in publi) e)ono%y* And the last one: 'e ha3e %ore freedo% and ne' eAuip%ents to pra)ti)e bodybuilding 'ith* So%e of the students e.er)ise for their body fitness: so%e for health but only a fe' )o%e here to be)o%e a professional* And this year: 'e also ha3e so%e fe%ale students e.er)ising in our )lub*; S10 ?2%usi) inside the body building )lub 23,year,old uni3ersity student Said &usain started to 'or< out re)ently* Said )lip 1 5%ale67ersian8 9Sin)e 'as a )hild: 'as al'ays interested to be)o%e an athlete* "hat(s 'hy pra)ti)e body building* 'ant to ha3e a fit body: get po'erful and loo< good* After t'o 'ee<s: already feel so%e )hanges in %y body* thin< %y ability has in)reased*; +odybuilding has be)o%e Afghanistan(s %ost popular sport behind so))er*** 'ith po'erful a)hie3e%ents too* "his year: Afghanistan(s national bodybuilding tea% 'on si. gold %edals in the Asian +odybuilding Bha%pionship* Afghanistan body building federation is no' en)ouraging young people to go to the gy%: says its )hief $ansoor +ahadori* $ansoor )lip 2 5$ale67ersian8 9+odybuilding has a lot of benefits* "hey )an stay out of trouble: they 'ill be healthy and the athletes 'ill al'ays loo< good*** and he 'ill get a ni)e girlfriend tooC /3en 'hen he(s 'earing a shirt: he 'ill i%press the girls* We had this sport fro% a long ti%e a go but re)ently there are %ore people enthusiasti) 'ith it*; 1or Asia Balling this is Ghayor Waziri fro% @abul Afghanistan*