The Iran Bodybuilding Federation expelled five bodybuilders on their national team for failing a doping test administered by Iran’s Anti-Doping Agency. The urinalysis returned a positive doping result presumably for anabolic steroids. The bodybuilders are ineligible to compete in the 2008 ABBF Asian Bodybuilding Championships in Hong Kong later this month (”Iranian bodybuilders banned for doping,” July 8).

The Iranian Bodybuilding Federation is a member of the International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB). All Asian BodyBuilding Federation (ABBF) are sanctioned by the IFBB.

The IFBB is quite serious about steroid testing for amateur bodybuilding competitions; but in spite of statements to the contrary, they have not seriously pursued steroid testing in the IFBB Professional League.

The sport of bodybuilding is very popular in the Middle East where bodybuilders are legitimate celebrities. Bodybuilding is the second most popular sport (behind soccer) in Iran, thriving in Iraq, and possibly the most popular sport in Afghanistan.

Unlike Iran, some Middle Eastern countries have no problems with steroid use for bodybuilding. For example, in neighboring Iraq, anabolic steroids are legal for bodybuilding purposes and are sold over the counter in gyms along with sports nutrition supplements.

Interestingly, the U.S. war in Iraq has allowed the use of anabolic steroids and the sport of bodybuilding to flourish in Iraq after being repressed under the rule of Saddam Hussein. As Iraqi forces begin taking responsibility for security in the region, Iraqis are striving to become bigger and stronger in order to obtain employment in the fast growing security industry.