Bhutan Bodybuilding and Weightlifting Federation (BBWF) issued an official statement yesterday refuting the allegations made against the federation’s President by one of the contestants Sangay Tsheltrim following the results of the ninth World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship in Mongolia.

The federation’s statement stated that the video is spreading hate and lies, and misleading viewers into judging an innocent man.

“It is very disappointing that Bhutanese bodybuilders and officials have been harassed and attacked by one athlete, who is disgruntled and unhappy with the results of his competition. This is nothing but an extreme and exceptional case of a sore loser who cannot accept defeat with grace because he has been building up the hype for some months now, as he announced to his few thousand viewers that he is bringing home a gold medal,” the official statement mentioned.

The statement highlighted the President’s contributions and personal sacrifices made to raise the standard of Bodybuilding in Bhutan. “It is due to his insistence that we made way for athletes to participate in the 9th World Bodybuilding and Physique Championship held in Mongolia where our athletes won 1 Gold and 2 Bronze, putting Bhutan squarely on the map as a strong contender in this Sport,” the statement stated.

The official facebook page of Bhutan Body building association uploaded a signed letter submitted by the judges, which stated that they are fully aware of the code of ethics of the judges and athletes, and that the statement made by Mr Sangay is a “blatant lie of which we strong protest.”

Sangay Tsheltrim, Mr Bhutan 2017 stood fourth in Men’s Athletic Physique up to 175 cm category. He went live on Facebook alleging that his performance in the championship was turned over by the politics of federation.

“I gave my best and did my best. I am not really disappointed as I know the truth right now. The truth of the matter is I got screwed today. There are lots of things that I want you all to know, the dirty politics that are there in our federation.  It’s all based on ego and people just want to show their ego and not support each other, want to try to pull each other down, want to get better than other, that’s really upsetting,” he said.

He also alleged that the federation did not fund him though he is the current Mr Bhutan and said that the championship was his last. “I have sacrificed my career, sacrificed job to take up the sport and promote this sport. My dream was to bring a medal from the world championship. I was the best today but I was unfortunate. They made me fourth today. It’s really disheartening. Our own people from Bhutan screwed me today,” he said.

A total of four athletes, Thinley Dorji, Damcho Zam, Sangay Tsheltrim, and Tandin Wangchen from the country took part in the championship. All four athletes made to the top five contenders in their respective category.

The event was hosted for the first time in Mongolia by the Mongolian Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation. More than 400 athletes from 60 different countries competed in 39 different categories. The championship ended on October 9.

Nima