With the 2023 Mr. Olympia competition around the corner, athletes understand the pressure is on to make it count on the sport’s biggest stage. A few have the unfortunate battle of crossing international skies and obtaining a visa. One of those competitors is Behrooz Tabani, who is no stranger to these struggles. In a recent post made to Instagram, Behrooz’s trainer Milos Sarcev revealed he still has no visa with only seven weeks until 2023 Mr. Olympia.
In the IFBB Pro League, standing out is difficult, especially because of the size and muscle volume required to compete with the best of the Men’s Open class. Behrooz Tabani is a top Men’s Open Pro who possesses those qualities, but unfortunately, has faced the brunt of some visa issues. In addition to Tabani, reigning Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan has endured the exact same problems.
Last year, Tabani competed and won gold at the 2022 Romania Muscle Fest Pro in November when he defeated Brett “The Butcher” Wilkin. This victory earned him the final Men’s Open Mr. Olympia qualification of the season. However, when it was Tabani’s moment to step on the Mr. Olympia stage, he was denied his visa and couldn’t travel to the United States.
Behrooz Tabani At Risk of Missing 2023 Olympia, Milos Sarcev Reacts
This season, Tabani has claimed victory at the 2023 Arnold Classic South America to become Olympia qualified. Though, like a bad recurring dream, Tabani appears to once again be at risk of not being able to fly out for the Olympia contest from November 2-5 in Orlando, Florida.
With time ticking away, Milos Sarcev was disappointed that there were only seven weeks until Mr. Olympia and Behrooz had yet to receive a Visa or appointment.
Aside from “The Persian Wolf” and Behrooz Tabani, there are other competitors from the IFBB Pro League who have suffered problems with visas. Back in 2021, Ukrainian bodybuilder Vlad Suhoruchko was denied his visa and unable to compete at that year’s Mr. Olympia competition, which was a huge letdown to his fans and followers given his popularity.
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Hopefully, Milos Sarcev’s post will bring attention to Behrooz Tabani’s situation. Considering that he has won multiple Pro shows and was qualified last year, it would be a blow to the sport’s integrity if he didn’t make it to the biggest and most important event of the year. Should he defy the odds and make it to 2023 Mr. Olympia, Tabani will have a stacked Open lineup to deal with but his conditioning always makes him a wild card.
Published: 17 September, 2023 | 10:25 AM EDT
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