On December 23 last year, a Bangladeshi bodybuilder named Jahid Hasan Shuvo courted controversy for kicking a blender machine, which he received as a prize at the BABF National Bodybuilding Championships 2022.
Jahid was reportedly upset after he came second in the competition and alleged that the Bangladesh Bodybuilding Federation (BBF) was being biased. A video of his ‘unruly behaviour’ has now gone viral on social media.
In the video, the Bangladeshi bodybuilder looked disappointed about not being declared the winner. After collecting his prize (a trophy and a blender machine), he was asked to step aside by an official (dressed in red).
Jahid Hasan Shuvo walked to one corner of the stage and displayed his medal to the crowd. He was then asked to get off the stage. At that point, the bodybuilder tossed the blender machine in the air in utter disgust.
To further express his displeasure, Jahid kicked the blender machine and walked away. The crowd became restless and raised slogans in unison. The Bangladeshi bodybuilder later clarified that he was miffed at the corruption within the BBF.
“This was a kick at corruption. Any kind of corruption in any place in our country,” he emphasised. Jahid added, “Even a child could tell the difference in physique between me and the winner. However, I would like to apologise for my reaction, because without context, it looks unpleasant for a sportsperson to do that.”
However, on December 25, 2022, Jahid Hassan Shuvo was served with a lifetime ban by the Bangladesh Bodybuilding Federation in consultation with the International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness (IFBB).
BBF has cited ‘unsportsmanlike behaviour’ and ‘breach of discipline’ for the decision. While speaking about the matter to Dhaka Tribune, former Bangladeshi bodybuilder Haji Peyar Mohammad (one of the judges at the event) expressed shock and disbelief at the actions of Jahid.
“I have been in this sport for 32 years now but never saw such an incident before. There was a better player than him. There were 12 judges who picked their best and he just got fewer votes. There is win and loss in sport and one has to accept it, but he wasn’t able to hold his anger,” he said.
Peyar emphasised, “I know him for a long time. I liked him. He had a promising future, but he just ruined his career with this incident. I feel bad for him because I could never imagine he could act like this.”
