Fikret Hodžić was a professional bodybuilder from Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...

. Hodžić competed during the 1970s and 1980s representing the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...

.

Hodžić was murdered near his home by Serbian paramilitaries during the early days of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. His remains were found in a mass grave in January 2009 and were properly buried on 20 July 2009, a full 17 years after his murder.

Hodžić began bodybuilding in 1973. He was inspired by Franco Columbu

Franco Columbu

Franco Columbu is an Italian actor, former bodybuilder and World's Strongest Man competitor.-Bodybuilding:Columbu was born in Ollolai, Sardinia . Starting out his athletic career as a boxer, Columbu progressed into the sport of Olympic Weightlifting, powerlifting and later bodybuilding, winning...

. He briefly had to stop training while completing mandatory military service. Hodžić was the bodybuilding champion of Yugoslavia for 15 consecutive years spanning 1976-1991. He was an advocate of training outdoors when weather permitted it.

During the war in Bosnia his wife and two children sought refuge in Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

. After hearing of Hodžić's murder Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....

 sent his condolences to the family. Fikret Hodžić's 20 year old son Džemal was murdered in Sanski Most

Sanski Most

Sanski Most is a town and municipality in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located on the Sana River in Bosanska Krajina, between Prijedor and Ključ. Administratively it is part of the Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina....

 in 2000 by a local criminal.

International Competitions

• 1981

European Amateur Championships - IFBB, LightWeight, 2nd

World Amateur Championships - IFBB, LightWeight, 3rd

• 1982

European Amateur Championships - IFBB, LightWeight, 5th

World Amateur Championships - IFBB, LightWeight, 4th

• 1986

European Amateur Championships - IFBB, LightWeight, 4th

• 1987

Mr Universe - NABBA, Short, 6th

• 1989

World Amateur Championships - IFBB, LightWeight, 13th