Subjectivity

In contrast to sports like powerlifting or basketball, where the strongest or highest-scoring team wins, bodybuilding is more subjective, similar to gymnastics or figure skating. Though opinions may differ, fairness should prevail, even if complete agreement is not always possible. Nevertheless, OBBA’s judging guidelines allow judges to make well-informed decisions most of the time.

Athletes for international championships, such as the Asian and World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championships, are chosen through separate trials conducted nationally. These selection events, held annually for both championships, are overseen by a panel of nine judges from different state units, all with extensive international judging experience. For the Senior National Championship, each state unit picks up to 16 athletes to compete across 10 weight categories in bodybuilding, along with two categories for physique sports for both men and women, and one category for women’s bodybuilding.

OBBA adheres to the judging standards provided by the World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Federation (WBPF) link, ensuring a consistent approach to judging across all competitions.