As a fan of international bodybuilding, it pains me to write an article like this because I would love nothing more than for competitors from all over the world to be able to compete freely. Bodybuilding has never been about politics though in cases like these, what happens on a global scale has an undeniable impact on competitors’ travel abilities. While the sport itself knows no borders, there’s a tremendous influence in the United States and Europe. In fact, the Big 3 (Olympia, Arnold Classic, and NY Pro) are all held in the United States. There are also big shows in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Sadly, it seems that Iranian nationals aren’t getting any love, anywhere. Even the People’s Republic of China, which has strong ties to Iran, is seemingly not opening its doors to Iranian athletes. Today’s article is about a guy who has really paid his dues. I’m talking about celebrated Persian bodybuilder Behrouz Tabani. And even though his visa was denied, it seems that his coach, Milos Sarcev (another legend in his own right) seems optimistic. As it turns out, Tabani’s visa was rejected almost instantaneously. The answer was received in just a matter of days. The thinking now is to re-apply and if granted, Tabani would get on a plane from Iran to China as late as Friday or even Saturday for the Sunday contest. From what it seems, special permission is being sought from IFBB Pro League Vice President Tyler Manion to see if Behrouz can be afforded an exemption to bypass the athletes’ meeting and other requirements should he somehow arrive at the 11th hour. And while that takes some of the stress off, Behrouz will still go to sleep each night not knowing if he’ll be able to compete or not. Could you imagine what he must be going through?
I honestly don’t know what’s worse, not being able to compete or not knowing you can’t compete until virtually the last minute. Either situation seems to be catastrophic for a competitor. Could you imagine Behrouz’s cortisol levels? I mean sure – mind over matter all day everyday – right? But that’s a lot easier said than done. How do you compartmentalize the fact that all your work may be in vain? Imagine what it must be like as you read this article for poor Behrouz. He has done the work, he has sacrificed, and he probably looks phenomenal. I have been following his updates and quite frankly this man has always been known as a workhorse. He’s a consummate professional and somebody that truly respects the stage and the process. And what do I mean by that? What I mean is that win or lose, he is going to be a professional. He’s not a whiner, he’s not going to throw his trophy away, he’s going to do press and he’s going to do right by the promoter. What more could the Federation ask for? And if the Federation could do anything, I know they would leave no stone unturned. But this is not about bodybuilding, this is about global politics. I mean how many articles have I written about when it comes to Iranian competitors getting into the United states? Five, ten, probably more in all honesty. And that is because the United States and Iran have pretty horrible relations. I mean we’re currently fighting a war, no less. But this is not about an Iranian competitor trying to get into the United States or even into Europe. This is about a competitor from Iran not being able to compete in China!! I mean try to wrap your head around that one! China is an ally of Iran’s, and still the guy can’t get into a friendly country.
This goes back to what I’ve been saying for years about guys like Behrouz and guys like Hadi. If they want to compete in bodybuilding, they practically have to move either to Western Europe or the United States. Even then they’re not guaranteed visas because we have seen competitors from the United Kingdom and France that have not been able to get into the United States or European countries. Ultimately, I feel that an Iranian bodybuilder should do whatever is necessary to move to the United States. That’s the only sure fire way that they’re going to be able to compete. They have worked so hard for this!
Again, I can’t play this one down. I would like to write an article that is restrained and that isn’t over the top, but these guys have invested so much time, so much money, they have sacrificed unlike most competitors only to be left out of the show. The only thing I can compare this to would be back during the Covid-19 days. When competitors went to sleep the night before not knowing if they would have a stage to compete on the next day. That was different because that affected all competitors, not just one or two. This situation right here is abysmally different. it’s abysmally worse. Yet it’s pretty much the status quo for guys like Behrouz and Hadi. I know they’re not going to move to the United States, they’re not even going to move to a nearby Middle Eastern country. Why should they? Why should they be uprooted, why should they leave home? As it stands right now all of their efforts may be in vain. Do you see things getting better between the United States and Iran? I mean the ceasefire isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. We are on day eight of renewed airstrikes on the Iranian countryside. We just buried a third United States serviceperson. I mean we are in the thick of a war here and Iranian athletes are going to get penalized. We even saw some allegations made by the Iranian FIFA Team trying to play at the World Cup. I don’t know if those allegations were true or not, but they were suggesting unfair play, interference, and downright hostility. Again, both countries are at war. It’s not like the international stage gets paused so that a bodybuilding show can take place or so that a series of soccer games can be had. That’s not how the real world works.
If soccer players felt some kind of away, Imagine a bodybuilder. Bodybuilding is not a sport that really gets bureaucracies moving. I don’t know if Consular Services even care. The Olympia is one thing, but some random show in China, that’s just not going to get anyone off their ass in a government capacity. With Hadi it’s a little different because he is a former Mr. Olympia, he is a former Arnold Classic champion; he has a following that spans millions of people. Choopan is also, according to some sources, very friendly with the [Iranian] regime. I don’t know if that’s true or not. I just know that it created a tremendous amount of backlash last year. Nonetheless, the situation between Hadi and Behrouz is completely different. One guy is a world-renowned champion, and another guy is on his way to trying do it. Sadly, if he can’t even qualify for the Olympia, how is he going to buy to be one of the best in the world? I just honestly feel terrible for Tabani. I would love nothing more than to see things work out for him, but who’s to say if applying for a second visa isn’t going to have the same result as the initial application. Does anyone really think that the first one slipped through the cracks somehow? And by applying for a second time that that’s going to be like applying fresh? It just seems like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. That said, I understand the need to have some kind of hope. I understand that scarce chances are better than no chances.
Wouldn’t it just be easier for Behrouz to move to the United States? Wouldn’t it be easier for Hadi, as well? I mean we saw guys from Lebanon leave their country during the Civil War in the 1980’s and start new lives in the United States and Europe. We have a Mr. Olympia that did just that. Why couldn’t these guys do the same? I don’t know. I honestly don’t. Sometimes, though, home is where the heart is and nothing, even the convenience of having to bypass all this bullshit every year trying to get a visa, is worth leaving. I get that. but at the same time, it just seems like a colossal waste of time and energy to go through this rigmarole every single year.
Do you think Behrouz will get that Visa at the 11th hour? And even if he does, do you think it’s going to be any easier getting him into the United States for the 2026 Mr Olympia? What say you? As always, I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Please be sure to copy and paste a link to this article on all your social media feeds. It’s bound to generate lively conversation.
Author Bio:
Christian I. Duque is the owner of StrengthAddicts.com, a physique and strength website founded in 2008. He has worked for a number of bodybuilding websites, including RX Muscle and Muscular Development. Christian has written nearly 1,000 published articles for IronMag Blog, as well as articles for StrengthAddicts, RX Muscle, and others. By day, he is also a licensed attorney practicing in the areas of family law, immigration, and criminal defense.
