Cambodian bodybuilding legend Sombo Suphorn is on the brink of stepping away from the sport, saying he may be forced to retire if he fails to secure a Pro Card at a final attempt in Vietnam on October 24.
Although Suphorn lifted gold at the 10th WBPF World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championships and Congress in Thailand in 2018, as well as one gold and one silver at the PCA Elite Classic bodybuilding championships in Thailand in 2023, he has yet to obtain the Pro Card needed to become Cambodia’s first bodybuilder to compete at Mr Olympia, the sport’s highest-level international competition.
Suphorn said he had pushed himself harder than ever in 2026 in pursuit of a Pro Card. His latest attempt came at the 2026 IFBB Malaysia competition, where he competed in four categories but again fell short of his goal.
The 2018 world champion explained that he had set himself an uncompromising target for the year, using the prospect of retirement as motivation to improve his physique and performance.
“My goal did not start just now. For the 2026 competitions, I set a target for myself to work as hard as possible and push myself to the limit. I put pressure on myself by saying that if I lost and did not get a Pro Card, I would stop competing,” he said.
At the IFBB Malaysia event, held on October 17 and 18, Suphorn finished fifth in the Men’s Classic Physique Open A category of the IFBB Pro Qualifier, just missing out on the opportunity to advance to the Pro Card contest.
In the IFBB NPC Regional competition, he placed second in Men’s Classic Physique Open A and fourth in Men’s Physique Open A. He also finished in the top eight in the Men’s Physique Open A category of the IFBB Pro Qualifier.
Suphorn explained that only first-place finishers in the relevant open Pro Qualifier categories can advance to compete for a Pro Card against other category winners on the same day.
“You have to finish first in an Open Pro Qualifier category to get the opportunity to compete for a Pro Card that same day against the winners of the other categories. But this year, that opportunity has passed because the Open Pro Qualifier was extremely competitive and difficult,” he explained.
“I finished fifth, while I placed second in the Open Regional, which is a lower level and does not qualify me to compete for a Pro Card either,” he noted.
However, encouragement from his older brother and coach, Sombo Nun, and fellow bodybuilders persuaded Sophorn to make one more attempt in Vietnam. He is accompanying his trainees to compete at the event, but will enter only the Pro Qualifier Men’s Classic Physique Open A category.
Suphorn said he had initially decided not to compete in Vietnam, believing he was ready to quit. But his brother and friends assessed his physique and felt he was still in good condition to compete, encouraging him to make one final attempt.
“Actually, when I decided to go to Vietnam, I said I would not compete anymore and would stop. But I am taking my trainees there to compete, and my older brother and friends checked my physique and saw that it was still in good shape. They suggested that I compete one more time, in just one category,” he said.
Suphorn added that winning a Pro Card would convince him to continue his bodybuilding career.
“If I get a Pro Card, I will not quit! Why would I stop when I love this sport so much? Setting a retirement target is a way of putting pressure on myself to work harder, improve my physique and achieve victory. It is not about quitting without a reason. I want to perform at my very best,” he said.
Suphorn revealed that the financial burden of bodybuilding was a major factor behind his consideration of retirement. Maintaining his physique through specialised nutrition and training, as well as travelling abroad to compete, requires substantial expenditure.
He said he had received little financial support from institutions or private companies and had largely financed his career himself.
Securing a Pro Card would bring support from the IFBB, he said, potentially helping him continue competing and opening opportunities to bring major bodybuilding events to Cambodia.
“The main reason I am considering stopping is that this sport costs so much that I cannot keep going. If I had a sponsor to support my competitions, I would not give up. If I still cannot get a Pro Card in Vietnam, I may take a two-year break. But if I still have no sponsor and continue to struggle with the expenses myself, I may stop competing for good,” he said.