Iron Men Champion: The Federation Said to Go Sell Drugs

Mehrab Fatemi is one of the most prominent champions of the "Iron Men" power competitions, which was part of the Nowruz programming by state television and had a large viewership. He also became the Asian powerlifting champion and has a history of participating in the Premier League of freestyle wrestling. The fever for the Iron Men competitions, which began in the late 1990s, suddenly waned after a decade. Physical altercations among some participants and various controversies surrounding certain individuals in the competitions were among the reasons for the diminishing public interest in "strength competitions." Mehrab Fatemi was one of the founders of this sport in Iran and himself won the championship title four times. In an interview with ISNA news agency, he spoke about "financial corruption and numerous abuses" in these competitions. He stated that everything was going well until a billionaire sponsor came along. The federation did not pay the champions; we were actors working for free while money went into the pockets of specific individuals. The federation president said that just because television shows you, you should also pay money. Federations are responsible for keeping their athletes away from any banned performance-enhancing substances and illegal drugs. Any violation of this can lead to disqualification and suspension by international federations. However, as Fatemi claims, the federation itself has been promoting this violation and instead of preventing drug trafficking, encouraged champions to engage in this criminal act. Fatemi said: The federation president told us that we would become famous in this program and could open gyms. You can sell drugs to those who love this sport! He emphasized that the federation is run by a few people looking out for their own interests. Despite having a qualifying competition, program officials accepted bribes to include certain names among the participants. He stated that unlike most bodybuilding champions, his profession is not gym ownership because "everyone entering this field is looking to show off quickly by using injections." Fatemi said: I have seen with my own eyes that people have died due to various injections. This statistic is on the rise in gyms. The drug mafia in bodybuilding is rampant, and there is no one to stop these individuals. The former champion of the Iron Men competitions recalled: A 15-year-old injects in the locker room. I have seen several people die from these drugs. One of my friends weighed 80 kg and wanted to reach 95 kg just days before his wedding. Unfortunately, he used steroids, and death did not give him the chance to see his wedding ceremony. How are these drugs obtained? Fatemi believes: Individuals importing steroids and distributing them in gyms have very high incomes. In Dubai, expired drugs are given new dates and brought to Iran. 99% of the protein and amino acids imported from Dubai are spoiled. He emphasized in his remarks to ISNA: Someone should come and stop the deaths of young people. I feel a strong sense of danger. I urge officials to classify steroids as smuggled items and take action against their distributors. Mehrab Fatemi believes that to succeed in this sport, "you have to spend money in the federation. Unless you pay certain individuals, you won't get anywhere." According to him, one athlete who was not financially well-off sold the gold of his wife, child, and mother to be able to pay a bribe to participate in the strongest man competition. The bodybuilding federation and the federation of public sports have not yet reacted to Fatemi's statements. Previously, whenever similar accusations were made, there was no response other than denials from officials.