Bangladeshi bodybuilder Jahid Hasan Shuvo did not take his second-place finish lightly, according to Fitness Volt's report. The professional bodybuilder competed in the BABF National Bodybuilding Championships 2022 that took place on December 23, 2022. His physique seemed phenomenal, but the judges scored it differently and placed him second.
Shortly after being asked to stand to the side, Shuvo can be seen tossing his prize, a blender (as per Fitness Volt), into the air before kicking it off-stage. In an unfortunate turn of events, the Bangladesh Bodybuilding Federation have banned him for life.
In a video posted on Instagram, the exact moment the results were announced can be seen. In the clip, Shuvo looks visibly distraught by the results of the competition. He seems uninterested in receiving his prize and posing alongside the organizers for some photographs.
Shuvo's displeasure becomes clearer after being asked to stand to the side by one of the hosts. Soon after, he is seen kicking his prize off stage.
Bodybuilder banned for life
While Shuvo's behavior was clearly unsportsmanlike, he later took to the media to clarify that he was confronting the corruption that exists within the Bangladesh Bodybuilding Federation.
"This was a kick at corruption. Any kind of corruption in any place in our country. 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."
The Bangladesh Bodybuilding Federation, after consulting with IFBB, announced his lifetime ban from competitions on December 25. However, later on, more footage was unveiled.
Crowd reaction and the reason for the ban
The ban was not well received by the public, who thought Shuvo clearly had better conditioning. The BBF, on their official Facebook page, posted a video showing Shuvo behaving inappropriately with the trophy and medal he received, and stated that this was the real reason for the ban.
One of the judges on the panel, a former bodybuilder himself, commented on Shuvo's reaction and his subsequent ban after the fact. Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, the former bodybuilder said:
"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. 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."
Shuvo receiving a lifetime ban for kicking his prize off stage is arguably excessive, but due to the improper actions that followed, the ban cannot be argued against.