Big Ramy becomes first Egyptian to win top bodybuilding award in Brazil

In a heavyweight development, Egyptian muscleman Mamdouh Elssibiay won first place in the bodybuilding division of the 2015 Arnold Classic on Saturday — the first time a bodybuilder from the Arab world has won the award.

Internationally renowned bodybuilder, actor and politician Arnold Schwartzenegger presented the winning trophy to Elssibiay — also known as Big Ramy — in Sao Paulo on Sunday. This is the third annual Arnold Classic Brazil to be staged there.

The event encompasses 28 different categories, ranging from power-lifting and Taekwondo to table tennis and pole dancing.

Big Ramy secured the top spot amid a robust lineup of bulky male bodybuilders who donned skimpy Speedos to flex their muscles in front of a global audience. The bodybuilding category is widely considered the highlight of this international sporting event.

Reuters covered the televised award ceremony, in which Schwarzenegger described Elssibiay’s win as “a tremendous success not only in Brazil, but all over the world.”

Apart from a massive trophy, Elssibiay is reported to have won a grand prize of US$100,000 in addition to a Hummer vehicle and a Rolex watch.

The 31-year-old Egyptian has been residing in Kuwait and training at the Oxygen Gym and Fitness Center in Kuwait City for the past three years.

The Kuwaiti news outlet Al-Anba congratulated Elssibiay on his win, describing it as “a historic and unprecedented accomplishment” for Arab athletes and sportsmen.

Big Ramy has “placed both Egypt and Kuwait at the pinnacle of bodybuilding success,” Al-Anba added.

According to his official webpage, Elssibiay, who hails from the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, used to work in the family fishing business before turning to weightlifting and bodybuilding in Kuwait.

Elssibiay was reportedly transformed into Big Ramy after just three years of intense physical workouts and hefty protein consumption. Measuring just under 180 cm in height, Big Ramy currently weighs in at around 130 kg.