Sikkim bodybuilder Sanjay Budhathoki, 39, added another feather to his cap by coming fourth in the 75kg category at the World Fitness Federation (WFF) Universe 2022 championship in Bangkok on Saturday.

Sanjay is part of the 16-member team of WWF India participating in different weight categories in the two-day championship that concludes on Sunday. He is the first from the Himalayan state to represent India in the global event.

Sanjay was among the 22 contestants from different countries in the 75kg category. After the initial rounds of the competition, he was selected in the top five. In the final round, he finished fourth.

In a video clip posted on his Facebook page, an emotional Sanjay said that to secure the fourth spot in a global event, despite not receiving any support from the government, was not a matter of joke and dedicated the medal to the people of Sikkim.

“I have made my country proud. I really had to work hard for it. I had no one (to support), but I still worked very hard,” he said.This is the second success for Sanjay on the global stage. In December last year, he won a bronze medal at the World Powerlifting Championship in Moscow. The bodybuilder was born in a small village, Rorathang, in eastern Sikkim and now resides in the border town Rangpo. Besides being the president of WWF India’s Sikkim unit, he is also trainer and owns a chain of gyms in the state under the brand name Body Vibe Gym.