28-year-old Syrian body builder, Mahmoud Ibrahim Alhdidi, died on Friday night in his room at the Retreat hotel in Malad (west). He arrived in Mumbai four days ago as a participant for the Mr Universe World Championship, an international body building competition in the city. He died of heart failure, according to the first post mortem report, police said Saturday.
However, reports are still awaited on the chemical analysis of all the body supplements found in his room, said Ramrao Pawar, additional commissioner of police (north region).
On Friday, all participants went to the Retreat hotel for a mandatory weight check-up by office bearers of the International Bodybuilding Federation, said senior police inspector Abdul Rauf Sheikh of the Malwani police station.
“Alhdidi had not eaten anything for 24 hours before his weight check on Friday. At around 9pm, he started feeling dehydrated and collapsed soon after. The other participants rushed him to Behl Hospital in the area, where he was declared dead on arrival. His body was then shifted to Bhagwati hospital for post mortem,” said Sheikh.
Alhdidi was set to participate in the 75kg weight category. Sometimes, bodybuilders don’t eat anything before their event so that they can weigh less during the check-up. This helps them compete with participants who weigh less than them, thus increasing their chances of winning, said Sheikh.
Sources said 300 participants have come to the city from 90 countries for the body building competition. “After a series of elimination rounds, only a handful of participants will be sent for the finale on Sunday at the Andheri sports complex,” added a source.
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_syrian-body-builder-dies-before-competition-in-mumbai_1608176
