CANADIAN PHYSIQUE ALLIANCE September/October 2021 | Page 32

Akbar Ali 1992 / 02 / 05 – 2021 / 08 / 09

Akbar Ali 1992 / 02 / 05 – 2021 / 08 / 09

A man is not measured by his riches or his ego . A man is measured by his willingness to better himself and those around him .
I first met Akbar back in 2015 when he contacted me to help him with posing for his upcoming show in the Men ’ s Physique category . I told him then , Akbar you have to come to Burlington to see me , he said Ok , let me find a ride to get there . At the time I believe he lived in Pickering and he didn ’ t have a car . I thought to myself , wow this guy is really committed !
When I first met Akbar in person at the gym , he struck me as a very intelligent and committed young man . When we would meet for his posing practice once in a while ( when he could find a ride ) he would often talk about wanting to do well in his competition but we would also chat about what he wanted to do in the future . Often it was about his education and his aspirations in life and this always struck me as very impressive because not too many young individuals know in their early 20s what they want to do in life . But that was who Akbar was I believe . He had a plan and he was going to do whatever he could to execute that plan , whether it was on stage or off .
Akbar was a formidable Men ’ s physique competitor and always did very well in the shows he entered . After every competition he would message me and ask how he could improve , what he did wrong and what he should do differently next time . He would even ask me what colour of board shorts I thought would look best ! That always made me chuckle . I asked one of Akbar ’ s closest friends Sarkis Tchakerian to write some words about him and this is what he had to say ; Akbar ’ s confidence was contagious , his love was unconditional , his drive was motivational , and he never left his kin behind .
One personal experience I ’ ll never forget is when we were training and in the change room he asked , “ When you look in the mirror , what do you see ?” I was thrown off by this question . I wasn ’ t sure how to answer . I replied with “ What are you trying to say ?” I was almost offended . He said that I need to look harder at myself and stop lying to myself . That I should see more than just a reflection , to look into my soul and see my future . I ’ ll never forget that day . It made me rethink my life .
I used to suffer from depression and PTSD . Akbar took my pain and turned it into passion . He made me love myself again . He made me trust in humanity again . That is a god sent gift . He did this for so many people and I know they ’ ll gladly share their story if they were asked .
Akbar was a man of God , he prayed daily , he stuck to a routine , and he stayed loyal and faithful . Among other goals and aspirations , he wanted to start an orphanage in third world countries and hold seminars in Pakistan and India .
He began a journey into bodybuilding , took up criminology , wanted to do philanthropy , and just before he passed , he had finished his first year as a law student in a university out of London England .
His aspirations were bigger than life . He couldn ’ t settle for less than his dreams .
Everyone who spent time with him knew he was something special . He put family first , always spoke about his sisters and brothers . Always said how proud he was of them . His nieces and nephews were his world .
An Islamic quote : “ Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji ’ un .” English translation : “ Verily we belong to Allah , indeed to Him do we shall return .”
Rest in power my brother . Watch over your family and loved ones . We pray to Allah to forgive your sins and elevate your station among those who are guided . To send you along the path of those who came before , and to forgive us and you . The lord of the worlds , to enlarge for you your grave and shed light upon you in it . I hope paradise is everything you dreamed of and more .
Gone too soon , but never forgotten . Rest peacefully Akbar .
Tami Beckers CPA Head Judge , IFBB Pro Judge