Muhammad Firdaus, inaugural winner of Mr Body Fitness category, with Jamilah (right).
Maskabi Kabar is the 2015 Mr Miri overall champion.
MIRI: Some say it could be a newlywed’s luck, but for Maskabi Kabar, his double victory at this year’s Mr Miri contest is testament to his perseverance in the sport.
The 33-year-old Miri Hospital personnel won the Lightweight category as well as the ‘Champion of Champions’ in the finals held at Boulevard Shopping Complex here on Sunday night.
Maskabi was adjudged the best among all category winners which included Leslie Lim (Masters and Light Middleweight), Fikri Johari (Junior), Abdul Aziz Mohsin (Novice), Azri Asmat Sefri (Flyweight), Roslini Zaini (Bantamweight), Mohamad Ismail Abdul Rahman (Welterweight) and Mohd Fyzal Bojing (Middleweight).
“Last year, I won the same category but this time, I managed to claim the coveted title. Maybe it was a newlywed’s luck – who knows?” he said.
It was Maskabi’s third appearance at the zone-level competition.
“I began working out just for fun about four years ago, and made my Mr Miri debut in 2013, where I won the Novice title. It has been a good run for me but that doesn’t mean I’m going to be complacent about it.
“I am aware that I will face stiff competition from my Kuching and Sibu contenders, come Mr Sarawak 2015 in Kuching this weekend,” he said.
Meanwhile, Miri Bodybuilding Association president Jamilah Ibrahim said this year’s championship featured the largest number of contestant so far – amounting to 61.
“I believe this is because we introduced a new category, Mr Body Fitness, this year which received the highest number of contestants – 26. This particular category serves as a stepping stone for bodybuilding hopefuls by exposing them to body aesthetics first,” she added.
The new category had Muhammad Firdaus claiming the title, with Mohd Khairuldin Hadzari in second place and Syallehudeen Ahmad, third.
Jamilah continued: “For this edition, we are delighted to see many new faces – noticeably in the Novice category – as well as several comebacks, particularly Leslie and Fyzal whom we haven’t seen for a while. It’s just so happy to see that they have returned triumphantly.”
This year’s Mr Miri was a collaborative effort between Miri Bodybuilding Association, Youth and Sports Department and Miri City Council, with sponsorship by Boulevard Shopping Mall, Ree Lax Café, Body Evolution Gym, Bumi Kenyalang Tees-BKT, Mr D Gym Limbang, E-ZY Health Fitness Centre, Gym 360, D. AzizMFN, Mesotropin Sarawak and Gimnasium Rakyat.
The Miri team, comprising 10 athletes and four officials, will head to Kuching this week in preparation for the state-level Mr Sarawak, to be held at Kuching Civic Centre Auditorium this
May 3.