JUDO
FEDERATION

Very soon in our capital will take place a long-awaited sports event of the year - the world judo championships! Kazakhstan will take within its walls wrestlers from more than 100 countries. And about importance of winning the competition, how to treat the lesions, as well as women in professional sport, tell us world-class athlete, World Championship’s silver medalist in judo in 2013 (Rio de Janeiro), bronze medalist at the 2013 Asian year (Bangkok) and bronze medalist of the Asian Games in 2014 (Incheon) Azamat Mukhanov - pride and hope of Kazakh judo.

-How did you come in judo?

- It is known fact that Sambo - is not an Olympic sport, unlike, for example, judo. All that can be achieved in sambo, I reached (Sambo World Champions (2010), four times bronze medalist of the World Sambo - approx.'s). I needed to grow further, but with sport. Then I decided to take up judo. And I can say that I am good at it.
Firstly, my older brother led me to sport section when I was very young. At first, I did wrestling and Sambo, and I tried myself in almost all kinds of sport - searching for myself. When I was at school, got to the championship of Kazakhstan among young men, where I won, I was noticed and taken to the team, and so determined my choice in sports.

- At what age did you first went up to the podium of the winner?- When I won my first tournament in Sambo, I was 18 years old. As I remember, my coach presented me my first car; it was a "Mercedes" E-Class.

- Have you ever used your fighting skills on the street, in self-defense, for example?

- I lived in a small village; everyone knew that I was an athlete, so they tried not to provoke me.

- How do you feel before the fight? Have you ever scared?

- In fact, the mood is very important, but another important thing is that you must not be relaxed. There was one defeat in my experience, which impacted on my further career, everyone kept saying that I did not do my best at 100%, I was relaxed, the opponent felt it and using it, he won the competition. After that incident, I know that the desire to win, which was with you from the beginning, you have to hold until the last battle, keep it till the end of the fight.
But I do not feel the fear, because I used to fight. Just say to myself, "Now I will go out and win him!" (Laughing).

- And what fight was the most memorable?

- Winning the World Cup finals in Rio de Janeiro in 2013. Then I had to go to the mat against the world champion George Zantaray, probably, that time it was the hardest battle. It was very persistent struggle. But I still did it, the result of the struggle - 7: 0.

- Tell us about your coach

- Head coach of the men's national team of Kazakhstan Ermek Imanbayev, working with him third year. He's a good coach, "lucky one", we all believe in it. With him we gain a victory. It was Ermek Abuevich who believed in me in Rio, I kept losing almost all tournaments, but he believed. This belief gave me strength and confidence. My personal trainer for 10 years is Berik Zhetpisbayev, my brother brought and personally asked to train me. He trained intensively, he taught me regime and discipline. All this has helped me to become who I am today. He is my teacher, mentor, friend and just respected person.

- Do you have an idol among judo?

- No idols. I can only say that I like the trainings and fights of Japanese athletes. Theydoit nicely.

- What do you like doing besides sport? How do you spend your free time?

- I love to run, I can run 20 kilometers. I madly love it. And I also like to play football in Almaty with friends every Wednesday and Saturday, by the way, my 4 year old son loves football, I take him from every country which I visit footballs. I like watching a movie. My favorite film is - "The best offer."
The rest of the time I try to spend with my family. I have two children. Son is 4 years old, my daughter is six months.

- Do you want your kids doing sport too?

- If only they want it, but no one makes them. Although my son is going to pool now.

- How did your parents react to the fact that you do martial arts? Was not your mother against? Because martial arts –is traumatic kind of sport. And you probably want to protect your children from injury. - Professional sport – is not just physical education. Of course, there is an injury, sometimes you can be seriously injured. No way without it. But if you just think about being maimed, it is not worth starting. Injury can be obtained simply walking in the park, slipping on the ice and on the stairs sprain your foot.
Sport gives you a lot more. When a child is brought into the sports section, the first thing it will teach to fall "rightly", so that in this matter the sport helps. Sport disciplines. And in a sport you gain a lot of friends. For example, I have 3-4 friends in every city of Kazakhstan. Even in abroad I have some friends. These sportsmen and "sporty" people - those who are just "sick" in sports or those who have relatives involved.
In my family, no one did sport before me. I was the first in the family who got involved in combat sports. And parents always supported me, never stopped, on the contrary, supported my choice and told to go till the last, they wanted victory....

-What are your future plans? As you know, athletics’ career is short. Do you see yourself in the future, for example, as a coach?- So far, all my thoughts are in today's work. Now we need to achieve the maximum in sports career, where I plan to be up to 33 years. And then I can think about further actions.

- How do you feel about the fact that more and more often in professional sport began to act a woman? Now there are women's soccer, women's hockey, women are good and in boxing and in judo.

- Definitely, as athletes I respect them. But in fact, I think that women have no place in such a difficult sport like boxing or judo. You can play tennis or gymnastics.

- Thank you for your frank interview. We wish you a victory, as well as to achieve the most cherished dream as an athlete - to take an Olympic gold medal and become the best in your business!

Dinara SUGURBAEYVA,
Photo from the personal archive of Azamat Mukhanova