Time passes, but what is being done now will certainly not be forgotten – Ilyichbek Dykanov. Head coach of the Kyrgyz national Kurash team
Honestly, I did not expect that the media team of the International Kurash Association would invite me for an interview. I am especially grateful to you for this.
From a young age, I regularly practiced several types of martial arts. I won the Republican championships in sambo and judo. I was accepted into the national team of the former Soviet Union in sambo.
I won many tournaments at the national and international level.
In my coaching career, I have raised several World and Asian sambo champions. I was awarded by the government of the country with the awards of outstanding coach, education and physical education and excellent sportsman in Kyrgyzstan.
You know, I’ve heard a lot about Kurash. But I started to deal with it a little late.
The doors of the world of Kurash have been officially opened for me since 2015. The Kurash Federation was officially established in Kyrgyzstan by Mirlan Eraliev, a well-known master of sports, winner of the World Championship and international competitions in sambo and other sports.
I have been with Kurash since that time. Ishenaly Arabaeva Kyrgyz State University in Bishkek, where I work, was the initial base of the Kyrgyz Kurash Federation. We started teaching Kurash to the young athletes working under my supervision. Everything was difficult in the beginning. We knew that starting from scratch would not be easy. Everything is happening slowly. Thanks to the support of the International Kurash Association, Asia-Oceania Kurash Confederations, and the efforts of the President of the Federation, Mirlan Eraliev for Kurash is becoming more and more popular in Kyrgyzstan.
Since last year, the sport of Kurash has been included in the state register. A building for the Federation and a gym were allocated in the city centre for practising Kurash.
In the beginning, we were looking for sponsors to award national championship winners but had to finance it from our own account. Now it is covered by the state and sponsors.
Our athletes are also becoming worthy of it. We won many medals at the Asian championships. Our national team returned to our country with medals at the Children’s Asian Games.
Now it’s time for the World Championship medals. Participating in the World Championship and winning medals is a dream of every athlete.
It will certainly not be easy. Not only strong physical fitness is needed, but also mental fitness. Luck is a separate issue.
In March, I participated in the international seminar of trainers held in Tashkent. I gained valuable experience in Kurash from IKA General Secretary Muhammad Reza Nassiri and other experienced professionals. At the end of the seminar, I took the exam and got the international B license for trainers.
To prepare for the World Championship and the Asian Games, we organized 3 training sessions with our students.
At the beginning, we shared experience with the national teams of Uzbekistan, Iran, and Turkmenistan at the Issyk-Kul international training camp. Then training sessions went on in Bishkek and Cholpon-Ata cities.
Currently, we are preparing for the final of the WSP international tournament in Tashkent and the senior World Championship in Turkmenistan at the base of the national team.
We have many experienced athletes in our team. Two of our athletes will compete in Tashkent. They are winners of the Asian Championship, Bekbolot Toktogonov and Jamalbek Asilbek. They qualified for the finals of this tournament in China.
A full team will participate in Turkmenistan. Winners of continental and international tournaments in sambo and judo joined our ranks.
Our goals are huge. A decent participation and decent results.
Today Kyrgyz Kurash is starting his long way. Time passes. But I think that the work done today will not be forgotten.