Haidar Alkhanov: “Chechnya's revival due to sport”

Interview by Timur Utsoyev, Grozny. Exclusively to VK

Chechen athletes performed exciting wrestles at the London Olympics, but local experts say that next time Chechnya has to show even higher results. The minister of sport of Chechnya Haidar Alkhanov spoke VK about sport’s role in the current situation in Chechnya.

-          How did Chechen athletes perform at the Olympic Games? In which kinds of sport did they manage to gain medals?

-          Four Chechen athletes came to London: power-lifter Apti Aukhadov, freestyle wrestler Jamail Otarsultanov, boxer Artur Beterbiyev, and our Olympic champion in Greek-Roman wrestling Islambek Albiyev. Even though Islambek came to London as a member of the national team, we were not sure whether he would perform or not, as Russia didn’t get a license in his category. It wasn’t Albiyev’s fault – Poland didn’t give him visa and he had no opportunity to win a license there. At the Olympics he didn’t participate in the end. We were upset. I believe we lost gold medal because of it.

As for other athletes, they performed successfully, especially power-lifter Apti Akhudanov andwrestler Jamal Otarsultanov. They became silver and gold medal winners. As for Beterbiyev, he had no luck. He could achieve much more. We hope he will show himself in next competitions.

Apti Aukhadov had to be the winner of the Olympic Games, but coaches made a mistake. If you watched the competitions, you could see that he came to the barbell, and if he did not lift it in 5 seconds, he would lose everything. He also failed to concentrate, even though I know he can lift 215 kg. He told me that if he were led to the barbell right in time, he would definitely lift the weight. He had no time. I don’t know what the reason was and why coaches missed this moment.

Jamal Otarsultanov is the best, he became the Olympic Champion. He goes in for freestyle wrestling since 9, now he is 25. He is thought to be one of the best wrestlers of our country.

-          Do you think that the Caucasian guys pulled off the Olympics due to relying on traditions, ethnic wrestling schools which had been forming for decades in the republics of the North Caucasus?

-          The fact is obvious. You saw that natives from the Caucasus won many medals. We don’t divide athletes in ethnic groups – we are all Russian citizens living in one big country, we have one home, similar interests and tasks. However, sometimes it is pleasant when athletes who are close to our spirit, traditions, customs, geography win medals. When I come to sessions in the Ministry of Sport I always hear about athletes from Mordovia, Ryazan, and others, while our Caucasian athletes bring medals. Many people know that traditional wrestling kinds of sport are spread and developed in the Caucasus.

-          Can sporting achievements of Chechen athletes redirect the Caucasian youth from the ideological point of view?

-          I believe that we should return our young people to normal life through sport. I think the republic underwent stabilization quickly due to sport. The first president of the republic, Ahmat Kadyrov, paid great attention to sport. He used to say that we should show our power, talents at sporting events, rather than in battle fields. The first president promoted and encouraged development of sport. That is why our republic managed to revive quickly. Of course our young people see achievements and respect paid to our athletes in the whole world. And they start to reconsider their views.

-          Today a lot is said about the fact that without development of junior sport the Olympic achievements would be impossible for Russia. Does Chechnya have an opportunity to choose from young talents? What are leading disciplines?

-          For sure any adult athlete trains since childhood to achieve success. One has to labor for decades, day and night. Only through labor you can gain success in sport, that is why we pay great attention to children and teenagers. There are many children sporting schools in Chechnya – about 80. A lot of kinds of sport are promoted in the republic, in more than 30 disciplines we pay special attention to children sport. For example, our young football players take highest place at Russian competitions. It means our way is right. We do our best for junior sport would be at an appropriate level.