Sergey Lim: Victory in Tyumen was not easy

08:00 | 30 may 2013

Kazakhstani judoka Sergey Lim won a gold medal in the category 66 kg at the prestigious World Masters tournament that was recently held in Tyumen. In his interview for sports.kz, the athlete told how hard it was to win at the tournament and shared his plans for this year.

– Sergey, how difficult was it to win in Tyumen?
– The victory at the tournament was not easy. In all bouts, victories did not come easily. The World Masters is a high level tournament. You certainly know that judokas ranked among top 16 in the world take part in this tournament. For this reason, the competition was strong. We fought for every point.

– Whom did you consider as the main competitor for the gold?
– With regard to the main odds-on favorite from the top of the world rankins, it certainly was Mongolian judoka Davaadorjiin Tomorkhuleg, the world leader in our weight category. However, Davaadorjiin could not make it through to the finals in Tyumen. Speaking of the other favorites of the tournament, these were French, Japanese and Georgian sportsmen.

– Did you hope for a victory at the tournament or just thought of it as of participation?
– Every sportsman wants to win and get to the top of the podium.

– What countries do you think presently dominate in judo at the international level?

– With regard to the results of the recent Olympic Games, Russia definitely dominates in Europe and Japan in the East. Mongolia has some good judokas. Sportsmen from Korea and France demonstrate good results.

– How popular is judo with young people in Kazakhstan?

– Judo is quite popular with our young people. Great number of tournaments for young sportsmen is held in Kazakhstan now. Kazakh people are sympathetic towards this sport.

– What are the prospects for judo in Kazakhstan in your opinion?

– Judo has great prospects. The Judo Federation of Kazakhstan works in the right direction and does a lot for development of this sport in the country. Although, our athletes were not successful at the Olympic Games, they brought medals from the world and Asian championships and other international events to the collection of Kazakhstan.

– What tournaments do you plan to take part in this year?

– The key event will be the world championship. But I also plan to participate in other tournaments as well.

– Obviously, we still have three years before the Olympic Games in Rio and many things can change by that time, but still, do you plan to take part in the Olympics in 2016?

–Olympic medal is my main goal. A medal won at the Olympic Games is more valuable than any other medals.

– What qualities should a sportsman have to succeed in judo?

– It is necessary to have such qualities as good discipline and hard-working to succeed in any sport. Besides, it is necessary to develop as an athlete and as a person, there is no need to get stuck on one thing. Besides, such qualities as perseverance, courage and willpower are important as well.

Stanislav Raskop

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