The International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) will decide in 2014 whether Dagestan will welcome the world championship in 2015. “I believe we have good chances for a positive result. Dagestan is one of the leading world centers of wrestling and it deserves to hold the world championship. It is our main advantage,” the head of the Russian Sporting Wrestling Federation, Mikhail Mamiashvili, told WRESDAG.RU. “We have significant experience of holding major international wrestling competitions in the North Caucasus, and they have always gained a high appraisal of FILA’s observers. Last year Dagestan conducted the World Cup in Freestyle Wrestling. The guests affirmed that the competition was outstandingly great.”
The wrestling successes of Russia and the North Caucasus, in particular, are impressive. At the London Olympic Games 16 athletes presented Russia in three wrestling styles. 11 of them return home with medals. Mikhail Mamiashvili told VK that “together with the Ministry of Sport we have adopted the program of development of wrestling by 2020. It includes a material part, I mean construction of the International Wrestling House in the nearest future; territorial development, providing of athletes with equipments and facilities. That is what we have been doing for many years relying on constant support of Suleiman Kerimov and Omar Murtazaliyev. I would like to thank them. Mr. Kerimov is the chairman of our board of guardians. Actually he supported the logistics which in a prospect reformed into the program which was signed by the minister and the Federation’s head.”
Answering VK’s question on reasons for Olympic achievements of the Caucasus natives, Mamiashvili said: “There is one explanation and it is simple: they are given an opportunity to develop their potential home. They have a gym, a coach, attention of top officials of the region. This is the only explanation. It should be provided in Tambov, Tula, Ryazan – and there will be Olympic champions too, believe me. The president of the Federation is the PM, politician Adam Delimkhanov. Of course his position and his role in development of sporting wrestling give positive results. Attention paid by top officials and realization of importance of sport’s development leads to participation of our athletes in the national team.”
The Olympic champion Natalya Vorobyova told VK: “I was born in the Irkutsk Region, the town of Tulun. I came to a wrestling gym when I was 10. It happened accidentally. I returned home from school, me and girls passed through the gym and signed up. My coaches thought that they should take me to competitions. They took me to competitions in Angarsk where the championship among girls of the Irkutsk region took place. I won it. Then they began to take me to various championships: the Siberian District, the Russian championship. When I was 16 I left to St. Petersburg and started to train. There I became Europe and the world champion, and the gold-medal winner of the Olympics.
I’m from a small town. Bright prospects and opportunities in large cities don’t wait for you – you have to struggle for them and work hard. I think, if you want people respect you, you have to do everything yourself. Wrestling is a sport of surprises. I wasn’t absolutely sure, but I tried to calm down by coaches, as they worry about their athletes more than athletes themselves. If my coaches tell me, I will perform at the Europe Championship in Georgia.”
