At the world championship in Serbia, a group of Kazakhstani athletes listened to the national anthem of Kazakhstan, winning victories that glorify the spirit of our country. Among them is Zeineden Mukhambetzhanov from Uralsk, who became the world champion in grappling in the weight category of 84 kg.
In fact, grappling is a fight that most of us are not familiar with. The history of its origin is a story in itself. Fans also call grappling "playing chess on the ground and winning."
After more than 5 years of grappling, Zeyne, the champion in her weight class, immediately stood out. He won a silver medal at the Asian Championship, and a gold medal for the rest of the fights in our country. The first victory was achieved in 2017 at the republican championship in Kyzylorda, and then at the championship in Kostanay. Soon after, he was selected by the Grappling Federation of Kazakhstan for the World Championship in Serbia and took part in the world championship with a load of responsibility and trust.
- From Zeine, can you share your impressions of winning the World Cup?
- As you know, athletes from 25 countries competed for the World Cup in Serbia. My first opponent was an Hindu wrestler, and I beat him with a score of 6: 0. My second opponent was an Azerbaijani wrestler with a clear advantage. My third opponent was the American Kelvin Robertball. It should be noted that his desire to win was high. Even when I got on the competition mat, he did not immediately get on the wrestling mat, but cheered and cheered for the applause of his fans. Athletes call this a psychological attack. Did the Kazakhs call it dunaybat ... So, the struggle with the Americans began. He thought that he could cure me of leg pain. He put a lot of effort into it. However, despite the pain, I managed to pull out my leg, turn it over in freestyle wrestling and get the appropriate score. Thus, I defeated the American wrestler with a score of 2: 1. In the final I wrestled with the famous French wrestler Mohammed Bayraktar. He has a black belt in jiu-jitsu and is a strong wrestler. No matter what the title, I was not afraid. I won with a score of 5: 3 and became the World Champion.
- What is the force that led you to victory?
- I was honored to represent all of Kazakhstan at the World Cup. Honor is a big whip ... My opponents are also strong wrestlers who have been selected by their country. However, in comparison, what I noticed on the wrestling field was that my training was at a high level, both physically and functionally. I noticed that the stronger they fought, the more tired they became. I did not get tired until the end of the fight. The main reason is the result of training. Of course, the name of joy is joy, I was happy when I won. Because I understand this victory as a victory for all Kazakhs. I dedicate my victory to the whole country!
- You are only thirty years old now. What are your plans for the future?
- In general, there is no age limit for grappling. It should be noted that wrestling can be started at the age of 16. And the high level of age, of course, depends on how you feel. If your health starts to decline, you can switch to a judge or a coach. But now I have seen wrestlers aged 35-40 who are engaged. I still want to continue this struggle. I still want to contribute to the development of grappling in Kazakhstan. In Western Kazakhstan, more precisely in the city of Uralsk, attention is paid to grappling, and the work on attracting young people to it is well organized. In turn, I must say that there were many people who helped me to win. Although I can't name all of them, I would like to thank some of them. First of all, now they are dead, I would call Okashev Amangeldy and Molgabekov Otep, the founders of freestyle wrestling. Have faith. Special thanks to my current coaches Mukhtar Khamzin, Kalenov Zhanibek, Kametov Zhusup, grappling coach Carlos Fals from Brazil, head of the West Kazakhstan regional grappling federation Ihsanov Azat, coach Ihsanov Almas, president of the Kazakhstan grappling federation Kanat Alin. These people did a lot for me to become a champion.
- What is the role of a champion at home: are you a leader or not? ...
-Of course, family is a man's breath. The fact that my parents, two daughters and my wife want me at home gives me great strength. A man has a high place in our family. My wife is as simple as I am. Smart. Can support a man.
- Thank you for the kind conversation, Zeineden! We hope that many more victories will be achieved.
Interviewed with Bayan Tanatarova,
National portal "Adyrna"
