The bronze prize-winner of the Sydney Olympic Games Vsevolod Zeleny, nowadays — the secretary general of the Latvian federation of judo, only just returned from Brazil where on a tatami of Rio de Janeiro passed not the most successful for our wrestlers the World Cup. But already next day he steeped in the work connected with carrying out in Riga of other competitions.

In a weekend, on September 14 and 15, in the Olympic center will pass the second Open junior sambo European championship. Event in itself significant and large-scale. In interview Vsevolod Zeleny told how Riga receives again the strongest sambo wrestlers why he undertook the superiority organization, and that he — as one of heads of the Latvian association of clubs on sambo, waits from these competitions.

— Vsevolod as far as I remember, you not for the first time will organize large tournaments on sambo in our country. Literally two years ago Riga already accepted the World Cup.

— As the director of competitions — the third. In 2007 in Liyepaye passed the continent championship among young men and juniors, two years ago Riga already became a World Cup venue among young men. And now the second Open European championship, and too among young men. Age of wrestlers — till 17 years. This age to us very much интерсен.

— Why you took reins of government — I don't ask. You after all itself left sambo.

— Yes all judoists in the past — sambo wrestlers. And as for this situation, I enter into a management of the Latvian association of sambo since 2003. And my task — to popularize this sport in our country. That I also try to do. You understand, such championships — it is the same concept of development of wrestling in Latvia. Including judo. So there can be no contradictions. How many we clubs have sambo in the country and sambo wrestlers? The answer is simple — exactly so much, how many judoists. But also traditions. I can remind that the first sambo European championship was held just in Riga in far 1972.

— And nevertheless...

— In due time I got on some events which were held by the European federation of sambo. Certainly, there were meetings, negotiations. Including with the head of the European federation of sambo Sergey Yeliseyev. The meeting with it was joyful and to some extent — sign.

— In what sense?

— I after all in Soviet period became the champion of the USSR on sambo three times. Still I remember the first large victory in Bryansk in 1989. Certainly, I entered into the national team of the Union who at that time and was trained by this person.

— It was that time when you still were a sambo wrestler, instead of the judoist?

Exactly. Thus, 14 years later, we also had such meeting. All also began with it.

— Sambo — is a judo basis.

— It is base. Sambo personally gave me much, including equipment. Sambo wrestlers and judoists quite often wrestling among themselves. The same concerns to wrestlers, the same wrestlers. Simply owing to some things, for example political, in the Olympic family judo was accepted, and sambo separated, remained in the shadow. But it didn't disappear anywhere. For me, in any case, these sports are equal. And one another simply supplements.

— That European championship which is accepted in a weekend by Riga... What it will be?

— I hope that it becomes a big holiday of sports. Winners will be defined both among young men, and among girls in ten weight categories. To us there will arrive about 250 sambo wrestlers from 22 countries. Including from such not European, as Japan and Mongolia.

— Why young men and juniors?

— This that age when people yet weren't defined for themselves — by sambo or judo. In any case wrestlers should pass this school surely. In sambo it is possible to be realized in the same way. Simply there is no such mad competition. The more opportunities for realization of the athlete, the better. I hope that the Latvian sambo wrestlers will be able to win at home medals.

— It will be the second Open European championship.

— From the past, the first which accepted Tallinn, we brought two silver medals. In this sport at us every year medals.

— Latvia too will be presented at these competitions?

— By itself — 10 guys and one girl. And it not only Riga. I am very glad that we found understanding in the Riga thought. This is our main partner. Plus to all this the European championship will be widely shined not only at us, but also in Europe as a whole, on many channels. This action takes place under the auspices of the European federation of sambo. So on us big responsibility lies.

Vladimir IVANOV

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