Mumbai, August 22: Mumbai’s renowned bodybuilder Sagar Mali, popularly known as the city’s ‘Junior Ronnie Coleman’ for his powerful physique and impressive musculature, passed away at the age of 38 after a prolonged battle with kidney disease.

Mali breathed his last on Saturday morning, bringing an end to a promising bodybuilding career that had earned him recognition in Mumbai, Maharashtra and on the international stage. His death has cast a pall of gloom over the city’s bodybuilding fraternity.

Sagar made a mark in 2013 by winning the prestigious Mumbai Shri title. His resemblance to legendary American bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman, particularly his muscular build, earned him the nickname ‘Ronnie’, which eventually became synonymous with his identity in bodybuilding circles.

He later competed in Maharashtra Shri and Bharat Shri competitions and showcased his talent internationally. At the 2014 Mr World competition in Mumbai, Sagar finished fourth in the 85kg category. He also came close to winning the Maharashtra Shri title in 2016 and gave a tough challenge to Sunit Jadhav in the 2020 edition.

Interestingly, Sagar’s journey into bodybuilding began while delivering newspapers. The photographs and stories of bodybuilders published in those newspapers inspired him to pursue the sport in his twenties. By 2019, he had become a prominent face of Mumbai bodybuilding.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, he stepped away from competitive bodybuilding. For the past two years, he had been battling severe kidney disease, with both kidneys failing and requiring dialysis.

Sagar is survived by his parents and wife. As his family members are currently abroad, his last rites will be performed on Sunday at Mulund crematorium.

The bodybuilding world has lost a powerful athlete whose journey from newspaper delivery to the bodybuilding stage inspired many.