A TENBY man is celebrating after muscling in on the UKBFF Welsh Championships.

Shamsul Ali, currently based in Weymouth for a temporary period after living in Pembrokeshire since the age of six, captured the title despite only starting out in competitive bodybuilding this year.

The 29-year-old explained his meteoric rise: “My interest in competing in the fitness industry came about two years ago when a friend mentioned I should get into dieting and training properly.

“This pushed me to start dieting and soon enough I was watching what I ate, generally being healthier and training my muscle groups more efficiently.”

And after getting himself in superb shape, Shamsul entered the UKBFF South Coast event in Portsmouth in April.

“The biggest worry for me was that everyone was heavier than me by a considerable amount,” he explained.

“There were 28 participants in the ‘men's physique up to 178cm’ category, and I managed to make the top 15.

“Beating 13 competitors that were bigger and more experienced than me was great, but I knew if I wanted to be placed in my next show I would have to work harder, train more and be even more disciplined.”

Shamsul, who weighs 72kg, then entered the UKBFF Welsh Championships in Cardiff on September 6.

“I was nervous and didn't really expect anything as I knew this competition would be tough.

“When I was called up for the line up of the top three, I was absolutely overwhelmed but to go on to actually win the title, beating sponsored athletes who were previous winners was beyond anything I had imagined.

“I feel this is my greatest achievement yet.”