Competition should not mean rivalry, and the very soft-spoken Furqan Raza's journey, triumph, and celebration after grabbing a gold medal and a bronze at the Global Powerlifting Bodybuilding International (GPBI) event in Dubai last week highlight this.
On his international debut, a businessman by profession and athlete by passion, Furqan made the country proud as he emerged the winner by outperforming Indian, American and Russian bodybuilders in the final of the 45+ masters category.
"When I was about to go out on the stage, I was demoralised, nervous, I was wondering why I left everything for this?" Furqan told this correspondent as he explained what was going through his mind during the competition, which was his first international outing, and he had won a domestic event on August 14th before this one.
"But when I went on stage I performed and I had no idea I would be declared a winner out of the 25 athletes there. It was the greatest moment. I had that win on, we can Indian home ground because most of the crowd was Indian.
"At first there were 25 competitors, then after elimination four were left towards the end, and I was declared a winner. There was such a roar in the hall and chants for Pakistan, it was an incredible moment."
He also bagged a bronze medal in the lightweight natural bodybuilding category.
Furqan began his bodybuilding journey after a long break at the behest of his wife who had joined Mr Universe/ Mr World Rameez Ibrahim Khan's gym.
"My wife used to train with Rameez's sister and my wife encouraged me to return to sports. I used to train in the gym when I was a teenager, and when I was in Matric in 1998-99 I used to play cricket as well. Still, I got busy with studies, and then got busy building my own business, I have been very successful at it. And then I returned to the sport. I have also run the Karachi Marathon.
"But this experience has been great and I train at Rameez's gym. The last few months before the GPBI we trained continuously and the hardest part has been the discipline and diet. You cannot eat anything else but boiled chicken, boiled eggs, steamed fish, and have some black coffee. But it all paid off beautifully in the end."
Now celebrating the win with his family, friends, and colleagues, Furqan adds it has been a very empowering journey and the response only highlights the need for the youth to be more active and partake in sports, be it going to the gym regularly, running, swimming, etc."
After the success with GPBI, Furqan is now targeting another international amateur event in Thailand and aims to beat Europeans who are bigger and better on stage.
But when asked how was his experience with Indian athletes in Dubai, amidst the war horns blowing on both sides of the border, Furqan's reply was heartwarming.
"I dedicate my medals to the law enforcement agencies of Pakistan. I am not worried about the war like that, but as people, as athletes, we were having dinner with the Indians, and we were exchanging our stories about migration at the time of Independence too, many had roots in Pakistan, and migrated to India, and so on and so forth, so among ourselves there was no animosity or bitterness.
"I shook hands and celebrated with the Indian competitor who was on the stage and at the podium with me."
Furqan added that there is a trend that more women are coming to the gym now and he is pleased to see the increase in awareness about fitness in the last few years.
Along with Furqan, there were three other Pakistani participants at the championships.
Jawwad Ahmed won three gold medals in the Senior bodybuilding event, Masters 40+, and overall title winner at the Dubai Amateur World championship.
Anjum Warsi bagged three gold medals in the senior open powerlifting event, squat, bench press, and deadlift. He got two more gold medals in the powerlifting masters event and a silver.
Meanwhile, Sumair Ahmed became the champion in junior physique and junior bodybuilding events.
Rameez was also the head judge and the man behind GPBI Pakistan.
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