Egyptian bodybuilders are preparing for two international events In preparation for both the African and Mediterranean bodybuilding championships, the Egyptian federation, headed by Adel Fahim, is busy. The African Championship is scheduled for 18 September in Cairo while the Mediterranean Championship is in October. To ready themselves, Egypt's bodybuilders are entering local events, international training camps and championships abroad for more experience. Accordingly, the Cairo Bodybuilding Championship was held recently at the Police Club in Shobra. The one-day event saw athletes from Cairo displaying their muscles and showing their off their skills in front of an excited crowd and two former world champions -- El-Shahat Mabrouk and Esmat Sadek. Two present-day superstars, Ahmed Esmat and Ahmed Abdel-Hamid, showed world- class performances that earned them applause and cheers. Esmat, the son of a former world champion, was fourth at the World Bodybuilding Championship in 1998 in Spain. In the same year, he won the gold medal in the Arab Championship. In 1999, he came third in the European Championship. However, the 26-year- old athlete was involved in a car accident that kept him out of business before making an impressive comeback to win two gold medals at the African and Mediterranean championships in 2004. Abdel-Hamid, nicknamed Super, is a bronze medalist at the 2001 and 2005 Mediterranean Championships and twice bronze medalist at the African Championships in 1997 and 1999. The 34-year-old Abdel-Hamid had to qualify to book his place at the African Championships. His performance was praised by Fahim. The two champions are aiming high this time. They have been undergoing intensive training and with Fahim, providing them with all required and necessary facilities for training, they believe they will reach their peak in time for the tournaments. Abdel-Hamid and Esmat are an extension of an Egyptian bodybuilding tradition which has been a dominant regional force for the past 15 years. Bodybuilding is the process of developing muscle fibres through the combination of weight training, increased caloric intake, and rest. Someone who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. As a sport, called competitive bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their aesthetic appearance. The world's most famous bodybuilder in the world is California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose Hollywood acting career was launched after his success in bodybuilding. Bodybuilding also has many categories for young entrants. There has been some controversy surrounding teenagers competing in bodybuilding. However, the sport does attract a fair amount of teenagers due to its emphasis on fitness.
