Ravinder Kumar Malik of India clinched the Mr South Asia title as Afghanistan won team championship finishing ahead of hosts Nepal in the 12th South Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championships in Kathmandu on Saturday.

Malik, the winner of men’s 80kg division, was adjudged the best bodybuilder among the winners of various nine senior men’s weight categories. The final day of the two-day competition saw Nepal’s Naresh Munikar clinch gold in men’s athletic physique. Mallika Shakya of Nepal also won the women’s model physique.

Nepal concluded the championships with three gold, seven silver and six bronze medals. On Friday, Samir Shrestha had won the gold in men’s 65kg division. Afghanistan secured six gold, four silver and five bronze medals to claim the team championship title. The Afghans finished with 535 points in total ahead of Nepal, who earned 445 points. India stood third with 380 points. India won four gold, five silver and a bronze medal. Participated by all six South Asian countries, the championships featured competitions in 17 categories.

Munikar, the winner of the athletic physique for participants with heights over 167cm, finished ahead of Nakul Kaushal of India and Mohammed Fathuhulla of Maldives. Shakya beat compatriot Pooja Shrestha for the women’s model physique title while Nishrin Hitesh Parikh of India finished third.

Malik posed himself as the Mr South Asia title contender after winning the 80kg division title earlier in the day. Malik beat Mohammad Asif Sakhi of Afghanistan to book a place for the final round, which was contested by only the winners of nine different weight divisions. Milan Sijapati of Nepal came third in the category.

Sefatullah Hafizi of Afghanistan won the men’s 75kg division while Dharmendra Kumar of India and Ashok Maharjan of Nepal stood second and third. Maldives, Pakistan and Bhutan finished fourth to sixth respectively.

Rishikanta Singh Laitonjam of India was adjudged the men’s 85kg division while Afghanistan duo Waheedullah Azimi and Abdul Saboor Sahak finished second and third. Afghani bodybuilder Guljar Jan Omar won the 90kg division, finishing ahead of Pakistani duo Muhammad Sayed and Faheem Abbas.

Afghanistan’s Ahmad Mohammadi claimed the above 90kg category title. Vinay Kumar of India and Syed Fazal Elahi of Pakistan rounded up in second and third to miss out of the final round. Ahmed Mahil Saeed of Maldives took home the junior men’s (under 21 age-group) open title while Rishi Rajesh Athreya of India and Krishna Maharjan of Nepal finished with silver and bronze medals.

In the men’s athletic physique for participants with heights upto 167cm, Ahmad Sikandar Zada of Afghanistan took gold finishing ahead of Nishan Man Pradhan of Nepal and Ahmed Fazeel of Maldives. In the men’s sports physique (upto 170cm), Azeen Rashad of Maldives beat Pramod Rai of Nepal to clinch the gold medal. Hamidullah Khushdil of Afghanistan was restricted to bronze.