written by lekehal mohamed boudjellel
Success stories created by young people echo across every corner of the world. Some even enter the realm of billionaires—like Meta’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg—and others who carved paths to glory out of nothing, transforming their journeys into inspiring blueprints for generations to come.
Today’s story did not originate in the Western world; its authors drew it from the very heart of Algeria. Armed with expertise and resourcefulness, they engineered a breakthrough in the field of athletic training. They pushed boundaries until they became a global benchmark in sports medicine, rising from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of honor in their discipline.
These are young men who believed in a project that began as a mere idea. It matured through hardship into a tangible, productive reality. Today, they reap what they sowed during their post-graduation years from the Institute of Sports in Mostaganem.
This story is narrated by one of its co-founders, Coach Mohamed Benyahia, an expert in reconstructing athletic bodies battered by injuries—particularly in football. Through his patience and dedication, he has become a specialist in rehabilitation from Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries. The ACL is a dread among footballers, often forcing them to hang up their boots for months, if not forcing them into early retirement.
The Sports Institute of Mostaganem…Where the Journey Began
Every story needs a beginning. For these four young men, the spark was ignited at the Sports Institute in Mostaganem. After earning his Bachelor’s degree in general sports science, Mohamed Benyahia pursued his Master’s degree in training methodology. His three companions each specialized in a different athletic discipline.
Upon graduating with honors, they knocked on many doors to enter the labor market. However, they clashed with numerous obstacles, echoing the struggles of those who preceded them. As paths narrowed, they decided to innovate and create an investment project within the sports field.
The Slimani Family…The Lifeline
Driven by an unyielding determination to see their dream come alive, the heroes of our story eventually knocked on the right door. The Slimani family from Oran was the answer to their aspirations. Recognizing the value of this athletic venture, the family adopted it with professional standards. They allocated a spacious villa to serve as the headquarters for a physical conditioning center named “POWER GYM”, equipping it with state-of-the-art machinery and training technologies.
With this, the idea broke free from the realm of dreams and materialized into reality. Each of the four friends from the Mostaganem Sports Institute began translating their academic knowledge into practical application—and the results followed.
Starting with Frifer and Confirmed by the Thabti Experience
Initially, the four young men offered their services individually to injured players, aiming to rehabilitate them for a return to competitive sports. Their first case was Bouazza Frifer, the former Mouloudia Club d’Oran (MCO) player, who was suffering from an ACL injury.
He was treated with high professionalism, subjected to standardized training regimens, and integrated into sessions with orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists, and nutritionists. His recovery progressed swiftly, and he returned to the pitch in nearly three months. To everyone’s surprise, after his lengthy layoff, he returned as if he had never been injured, solidifying his position on the field and displaying limitless capabilities.
Fringer’s success did not go unnoticed; it became a reference for many players, particularly those enduring ACL nightmares. Among them was Larbi Thabti, the current Mouloudia Club d’Alger (MCA) player. He underwent a comprehensive rehabilitation program managed by the four specialists in coordination with the aforementioned medical teams. Thabti became the second major success story to validate Fringer’s experience. While the player was initially uncertain about ever competing again, he returned to the “Doyen” (MCA) with a powerful performance. His commanding presence on the field prompted club officials to secure him with a long-term professional contract, overriding his initial six-month trial agreement.
“POWER GYM” Center…A Reference in Sports Medicine
Following these twin successes, the services of our friends became highly sought after nationwide, especially among professional clubs. They became the destination for numerous teams from the first and second divisions, as well as Algerian professionals playing abroad. Mohamed Bachir Belloumi—the Hull City player and son of the football legend Lakhdar Belloumi—became a loyal client of the center, finding the exact high-caliber results he used to seek outside the country.
The center also attracted clubs from the south, such as Jeunesse Sportive de Saoura (JSS), alongside MCO, MCA, and other teams. According to Coach Mohamed Benyahia, this high demand stems from the unique methodology they developed, seamlessly blending theoretical research with practical execution. The center does not merely focus on injury recovery; the staff works with the injured player to correct their positioning, their ball-striking mechanics, and even how they land after an aerial duel or a header. All of this is executed scientifically through video analysis, ensuring the player is completely ready on all levels.
From Football to Combat Sports
As “POWER GYM” established itself as a hub for football celebrities, elite teams in combat sports decided to follow suit. The “Ouled El Bahia” judo team became one of the center’s prominent clients. Utilizing their accumulated expertise, the four young men translated their football-acquired knowledge into the domain of combat sports, beginning with international judoka Dris Messaoud.
He was followed by an array of fighters who found the center to be an ideal sanctuary for recovering from injuries. The ultimate proof was reflected in their subsequent medal hauls, a success openly acknowledged by the athletes themselves and their coaches.
The Vision: Elevating “POWER GYM” to Match “ASPETAR”
The ambition of our story’s heroes does not stop here. They aspire to sign protocols with elite teams to handle immediate injury treatments and rapid rehabilitation, significantly shortening recovery times. While elite teams used to travel to the Qatari center “ASPETAR” at exorbitant costs, “POWER GYM” now offers highly comparable services while conserving financial resources for these elite institutions.
Through the platform of El Maqal newspaper, Coach Mohamed Benyahia directs an appeal to the authorities to support this ambitious project, urging them to elevate it to a global standard comparable to “ASPETAR”.
With this, we pass the ball to the court of the officials and decision-makers—will anyone pick it up, and will there be an answer?