KUALA LUMPUR: National bodybuilder Datuk Syarul Azman Mahen Abdullah finally called time on his glittering 26-year career yesterday, which saw him clinch an astonishing six world titles.
In announcing his decision at a press conference, Syarul Azman, better known as Mike Mahen, described his epic journey in the sport as having reached its peak through various conquests.
The 51-year-old six-time world body-building champion said it was the most appropriate time to retire after taking into account injuries and his age, which means he won’t be able to provide strong competition anymore.
“It took me a long time to recover from my injuries (right knee and shoulder since 2001) due to my age.
Every time I undergo training, it continues to hurt, so I decided the time has come to stop being an athlete and share my experience with younger athletes,” he said yesterday.
According to him, the desire to retire first crossed his mind last year when he topped the Asian Bodybuilding Championships in Nepal in September.
“During the tournament, I started to ponder if I could win the world championship in South Korea in November due to the condition of my shoulder.
I tried to see in January and February if I could recover to continue competing but it was difficult,” he said.
Throughout his involvement in bodybuilding, he managed to win the title of world champion and Asian champion a whopping six times and scooped a gold medal (physique category) at the 31st Vietnam SEA Games in 2022 to complete his title resume.
However, Mike Mahen will continue to contribute to bodybuilding as he has been appointed chairman of the Development Committee of the Malaysian Bodybuilding Federation (MBBF) for the 2024/2025 term, which was also announced earlier.
Meanwhile, MBBF president Maj Gen (rtd) Datuk Dr Ahmad Badrus Othman thanked him for his various successes and hoped that he would carry out the duties entrusted to him.
Mike Mahen may have ‘left the building’ – to borrow the punchline made famous by music promoters in the 1950s to quieten down the frenzied crowds when an Elvis Presley concert ended – but he is now in a prime seat to teach the country’s next generation of body-builders his winning ways.
“We hope that with his rich experience, Mike can help to determine who can really shine in the sport of bodybuilding.
He will also be able to motivate existing bodybuilding and physique-oriented athletes as well as show them the right training methods,” said the MBBF chief. – BERNAMA
