Nusratullah Ansari, an Afghan bodybuilder, has now made a place for Afghanistan in the bodybuilding arena, and this is undoubtedly one of the greatest achievements for the country so far. The athlete has bagged three silver medals at the 2026 NPC Master Universe in New Jersey.

Nusratullah Ansari has won medals in the Classic Physique category and also got the IFBB Pro Card.

The competition was held over 4 days and drew thousands of athletes from around the world; Ansari competed against some of the elite names in the Classic Physique division.

It was not Ansari's first time on a big stage. He had an excellent run at the Arnold Classic, where he placed as an amateur runner-up, a result that had already put him on the radar within the bodybuilding community online, where he's known by the nickname "Afghan Arnold."

His story reflects a trend of Afghan bodybuilders competing at top international competitions in recent times, adding one more name to the relatively small list of Afghan bodybuilders making an impact on the international scene.

What do you think an athlete needs to be considered the "first" in his country to achieve professional status in a certain sport?

Afghan Bodybuilder Nusratullah Ansari Earns Historic IFBB Pro Card

Long before earning his Pro Card, Nusratullah Ansari was sculpting others' bodies. There is evidence of his work in the form of client transformations, including a client who lost 12 kilograms under Nusratullah’s tutelage.

And that is the duality of roles Nusratullah played backstage at the NPC Master Universe 2026 in New Jersey, striking his signature double-biceps pose alongside none other than four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler.

While Ansari's accomplishment comes after that of his fellow Afghan countryman Ali Bilal, who is himself an IFBB Elite Pro and runner-up at the Mr. Olympia competition, it shows that bodybuilders from Afghanistan are becoming legitimate international athletes in recent times.

This trend can be seen even at the grassroots level, where producers monitor Fayaz Nabizadeh's accomplishment of winning five medals in the NPC Natural competition.

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Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil