Among them are prize-winners of European, Russian and international tournaments
Alexey Mantatov
The athlete is 22 years old, he was born in the Irkutsk region. He took up freestyle wrestling at the age of 13. He has the title of Master of Sports of Russia. He performs in the weight category up to 57 kg in freestyle, up to 63 kg in national wrestling. The athlete’s first coach was Bator Tsyrenov. Now the promising wrestler continues to train under the guidance of an athlete and coach, who is called “Miracle Bator” in the sports community, as well as with Bator Dagbaev and Tsybik Maksarov. In his collection of achievements, Alexey Mantatov has prize medals of the Siberian Federal District Championship, in addition, he is the champion of the Children's International Asian Games, the silver medalist of the international tournament for the prizes of the world, Russian, European and Asian champion Boris Budaev, the bronze medalist of the international tournament for the prizes of the head of Buryatia, champion and winner of the republican championship, champion of the All-Russian tournaments for the prizes of the rector of the Far Eastern Federal University (Vladivostok), “BAMA Carpet” (Tynda), and the tournament for the prizes of Kovalev (Blagoveshchensk). As the athlete himself said, his favorite moment in sports is climbing to the highest step of the podium. Alexey Mantatov watches the fight of Jamal Otarsultanov, Nachyn Kuular, watches the fights of Besik Kudukhov, Buivasar Saitiev.
- In my free time I like to play football. I support FC Barcelona. I also try to spend more time with family and friends,- the athlete shared.
In one of the most popular weight categories, up to 57 kg, it will not be easy for Mantatov to take a leading position. But in a highly competitive fight at the regional level, great opportunities await Alexey to conquer all-Russian and world podiums. His teammates in the Buryatia national team, Zhargal Damdinov, Andrey Gataulin, Tamir Garmaev, Zhargal Ochirov, are difficult competition. When they all gather at the same weight, the growth of athletic form increases several times, says ex-senior coach of the Buryatia youth team Bayar Tsyrenov. He is sure that in such conditions the athlete’s responsibility, his diligence and desire to win every day are important. He believes that Mantatova does not have such qualities.
Andrey Gataulin
Andrey Gataulin is 19 years old, he is a student of the Kizhinga Youth Sports School. In the fight since 8 years old. He competes in the weight category up to 57kg. Andrey trains under the guidance of the coach of the Kizhinga sports school Tsyren-Dorzho Tsydenzhapov. Now the wrestler has three coaches: the first coach is Tsyren Tsydenzhapov, as well as Gocha Makoev and Valery Ivanov. Andrey Gataulin – silver medalist of the international freestyle wrestling tournament in memory of Olympic champion Roman Dmitriev, silver medalist of the Moscow Cup (2017), champion of the Russian freestyle wrestling championship in Perm, 2-time silver medalist of the Russian Championship, 6-time bronze medalist of the Russian Championship , as well as a 2-time champion of the Siberian Federal District and a multiple winner and prize-winner of international tournaments. In 2017, the athlete received a special a prize from Boris Budaev as “Best wrestler of the tournament” for his prizes. In 2016, Gataulin helped the Russian team win the Marturs Cup in Iran. This became one of the important performances in the career of the novice wrestler.
- The Buryat wrestler performed brilliantly at the competition, winning all fights ahead of schedule: in the quarterfinals he won with a clear advantage over his opponent from Armenia (10:0), and in the semifinals he pinned the Bulgarian athlete. In the final, Gataulin was opposed by the owner of the mat, a representative of the Iranian national team. After the first period of the fight, Andrey was losing with a score of 4:5, but in the second period he showed his skills, putting the Iranian on the side,- reported the public page “Fighters of Buryatia” on VKontakte.
This year Andrey Gataulin is fighting among juniors for the last time and next year he will move up to the adult category of men. It will be difficult for him, says RSSHOR senior coach Zorikto Menzhikov, because the transition from youth to juniors, and from juniors to men, is always difficult. But Andrey already has good competitive experience and hard work, which are so important for any wrestler. Now Andrey Gataulin is the leader of the youth team of Buryatia, and it is on him that the coaching staff of the Freestyle Wrestling Federation of the Republic places great hopes for the future in elite sports.
Buyan Tsyrenov
The athlete is 20 years old. I started wrestling in the first grade of school. He fights in the category up to 74 kg or up to 70 kg. In the first round, he manages to perform better, admits Buyan Tsyrenov. The wrestler's first coach is Yuri Baldanov. Now the athlete is training with Zorikto Menzhikov. The member of the Buryatia national team has victories at the championships of the republic (2017, 2018), and a victory at the championship of the Siberian Federal District in 2018. In addition, he is a prize-winner of the 2017 Siberian Federal District Pension Championship and a prize-winner of the International Tournament in Memory of Roman Dmitriev. Buyan Tsyrenov, like many, likes to win and do everything possible to win.
- At the recent International Tournament of Roman Dmitriev, in the fight for third place, he snatched victory in the last seconds, performing a throw with a score of four points; such fights are always memorable, - said the wrestler.
Buyan Tsyrenov shared that he always liked the wrestlers of the Republic of Buryatia: Boris Budaev, Oleg Alekseev, Sergey Zambalov, Olympic medalist Bazar Bazarguruev. The wrestler also follows the successes of Alexander Bogomoev. In his free time, Buyan Tsyrenov likes to read books, play the guitar and go hunting.
According to the ex-senior coach of the Buryatia youth team Bayar Tsyrenov, Buyan is one of the most technical, throwing wrestlers in the youth team. Being a sparring partner with leading men such as Arsalan Budazhapov, Evgeny Zherbaev, Alexey Sabidaev, Buyan gets into excellent shape and learns technical techniques. The wrestler has a good future, notes Bayar Tsyrenov.
Evgeniy Kolychev
Evgeny Kolychev is 18 years old, he was born in Ulan-Ude. He has been engaged in wrestling for 5 years and has the rank of candidate master of sports. The athlete competes in weights up to 125 kg. The wrestler's first coach is Vadim Tsybikov. Currently studying with Dmitry Balkana. Evgeny Kolychev -
champion and winner of the Buryatia championship, winner of the Siberian Federal District championship, winner of the Zaur Bataev prize tournament, as well as winner of the Buryatia championship among men. Examples of technicality and skill in freestyle wrestling for Evgeny Kolychev are the Rio 2016 Olympic champion Abdulrashid Sadulayev and the 2016 Olympic medalist Auniuar Geduev. The most important example for him is the bronze medalist of the London 2012 Olympics, three-time world champion in freestyle wrestling, European champion in freestyle wrestling, Russian champion in Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling Bilyal Makhov.
Evgeny Kolychev admitted that of his successful performances, he most remembered the tournament for the prizes of Zaur Bataev.
- At the Bataev tournament I remember very well my reverse throw,- said the wrestler.
In his free time from training, he prefers to listen to a wide variety of music, except rap. Evgeny Kolychev is a student at the Republican Multilevel College.
If an athlete meets the demands of the coach, he can become an outstanding wrestler, says Zorikto Menzhikov, senior coach of RSSHOR. Dmitry Balkana has experience working with heavyweights, and he can turn Evgeny Kolychev into a high-class wrestler.
Ochir Dorzhiev
One of the most promising athletes, Ochir Dordiev, is now 20 years old. He was born in the Dzhidinsky district in the village of Beloozersk. He has been wrestling since he was 6 years old. He performs in the category up to 65 kg and has the title of Master of Sports of Russia. Started training with Banzar Menzhikov. Now his personal trainer is Zorigto Menzhikov.
Ochir Dorzhiev is a multiple winner and prize-winner of the Buryatia championship, the Siberian Federal District championship for youth and youth. He is also a bronze medalist at the international tournament in memory of Olympic champion Roman Dmitriev in Yakutsk, a silver medalist at the international tournament for the prizes of Buivasar Saitiev among youth in Krasnoyarsk, and a prize-winner at the international tournament for the prizes of Boris Budaev. Won “BAMA Carpet” in Tynda.
- When we went to the Roman Dmitriev memorial tournament in Yakutsk in 2015, then no one counted on me or bet on me, not even my personal trainer. I became a prize-winner, and then I was filled with feelings of joy,- Ochir Dorzhiev admitted to a BMK correspondent.
Wrestler follows all the top wrestlers.
- I want to watch all their fights! I like how Georgian wrestler Vladimir Khinchigashvili fights, and of course our Sasha Bogomoev. These are two wrestlers I really like - said Ochir Dorzhiev.
- In my free time from training, I catch up with my studies, spend time with friends, read books, go to my parents’ home in the village,- he said.
Wrestler coach Zorikto Menzhikov is confident that Ochir Dorzhiev has all the qualities to win. In the meantime, he is preparing for the Siberian Federal District Championship in Kyzyl and is getting used to competing among adult men. This is his first year performing in this category. The athlete has good prospects in the category up to 65 kg.
Tamir Garmaev
Tamir Garmaev is 22 years old, of which 11 years he has been wrestling. Performs in the category up to 57kg, Master of Sports of Russia. His first coach was his father, Dashi Garmaev. Now the athlete is training under the guidance of Munko Munkozhargalov. Among his achievements are victories and prizes at international tournaments, the Russian Championship (2nd place), and the European Championship (2nd place). The athlete said that his father is always an example of courage for him. The director of the Durdulginsky district sports school, Gonchik Rinchinov, told reporters after Tamir Garmaev’s success at the European Championship that this athlete could not be ignored.
- He has been gifted since birth. It was obvious when he was growing up that he would be a good fighter. He has a strong character. A real athlete, and even more so a wrestler, needs such data.- said Gonchik Rinchinov.
For the athlete himself, a significant memory is the victory at the Russian Championship.
- When I competed at the Championship and won a ticket to Europe, it was very pleasant. Also in front of my father. He was very happy, and I was doubly pleased,- said Tamir Garmaev.
The athlete follows the successes of many wrestlers and reviews the fights of sports legends.
-I look at everyone, because everyone has their own technique, I try to take the best for myself!- said the wrestler. Among his favorite wrestlers, he singled out Buivasar Saitiev and Mavlet Batirov.
According to the senior youth wrestling coach of the RSSHOR, Zorikto Menzhikov, Tamir Garmaev at the upcoming championship and championship of the Siberian Federal District in Kyzyl (May 10-13) may be the best in the weight category up to 57 kg. And at the championship and national championship, the athlete has every chance to enter the top three and strengthen his position on the team in his weight category.
Zhargal Dorzhiev
Zhargal is 18 years old, born in the Dzhidinsky district, the village of Verkhniy Burgaltai. He has been wrestling since the 1st grade of school, but started training seriously in the 5th grade. At first he was interested in national wrestling, then switched to freestyle. He competes in the 61 kg weight category, Master of Sports of Russia. As Zhargal Dorzhiev said, his first coach, Vladimir Garmaev, brought him into the sport. Now the wrestler is training with Zorikto Menzhikov and Bayar Tsyrenov.
Zhargal Dorzhiev is the winner and prize-winner of the Buryatia championship, the Siberian Federal District championship, and a prize-winner of all-Russian and international tournaments.
- My role model is Ilyas Bekbulatov,- said the wrestler.
Zhargal Dorzhiev enjoys playing billiards and likes to watch movies in his free time.
The athlete’s coach, Zorikto Menzhikov, makes big plans for the wrestler’s future. At the Russian Championship in Smolensk, Zhargal Dorzhiev showed a good result, becoming 5th in the weight category up to 61 kg. He won 4 out of 6 fights. The Buryat athlete is included in the Russian national team and will compete in juniors before 2019.
Zhargal Damdinov
Zhargal Damdinov was born in the village of Gunei, Aginsky district, Aginsky Buryat Autonomous Okrug, the athlete is 20 years old. He has been wrestling since he was 10 years old and competes in weights up to 57 kg. He has the title of Master of Sports of Russia. The athlete's trainers are Bator Bazarov and Belig Damdinov.
The wrestler is known for winning the international tournament in memory of Roman Dmitriev (in weight up to 55 kg, 2015). Also among his achievements are a bronze medal in the tournament for the prizes of the head of the Republic of Buryatia (2017), “gold” at the Russian Junior Championship (2012) and first place at the Buryatia Championship (2018).
Zhargal Damdinov told BMK that he grew up following the example of Alexander Bogomoev and Bulat Batoev. Also his idols are Soslan Ramonov, Ray Higuchi, Jordan Burrows, Gadzhi Aliyev.
- In my free time I like to play FIFA or UFC, watch movies, especially action and war films, comedies,- Zhargal Damdinov shared.
Zhargal Damdinov trains in the highly competitive category up to 57 kg, where it is simply impossible not to become a good wrestler, says ex-senior coach of the Buryatia youth team Bayar Tsyrenov. He also suggests that the guys will benefit from such high competition, because at the All-Russian and world level, serious passions flare up in this weight category, where seasoned character and experience play a vital role.
Andrey Elbaskin
Andrey Elbaskin is a follower of the family wrestling tradition. His uncle, Mikhail Elbaskin, was a famous and respected wrestler, the first USSR champion among juniors in Buryatia, and a master of sports of the USSR. Andrey Elbaskin is 18 years old, he was born in the Olkhonsky district, the village of Shara-Togot, Irkutsk region. From the age of 6 in wrestling. Performs in the category up to 86 kg, candidate master of sports. The athlete’s first coach is Kirill Osodoev; currently Andrey is also training at the Republican Sports School of Olympic Reserve with Dmitry Baldaev.
Andrey Elbaskin is the champion of the Republic of Buryatia among juniors, the silver medalist of the international tournament for the prizes of Boris Budaev (2017), has a bronze medal in the international tournament in memory of Olympic champion Roman Dmitriev, and he is also a champion and medalist of the Siberian Federal District.
- Traveling to competitions is always interesting. Visit another city, meet other guys, try your hand again, try new techniques, correct the mistakes of past competitions, gain new precious experience. The most pleasant thing at competitions for any athlete is victory, - the athlete shared.
For Andrey Elbaskin, the most striking example of skill is Buvaysar Saitiev. In addition to him, the athlete follows the successes of many wrestlers in Russia and other countries.
- In addition to sports, I am interested in photography and love taking pictures of nature. I like being alone with the nature of Olkhon and Baikal,- Andrey Elbaskin told BMK.
According to Zorikto Menzhikov, Andrey Elbaskin is the future leader among the heavyweights of Buryatia. In 2019 he will still compete among juniors. His coach and uncle, Kirill Osodoev, is eager to make the wrestler a star and, above all, an athlete with Olympic qualities. Former senior coach of the Buryatia youth team Bayar Tsyrenov is confident that the promising and hardworking Andrei Elbaskin has a great future in sports if he also trains “with a twinkle in his eyes.”
Erdem Tsyrenzhapov
A fighter from the village Zutkuley, Duldurginsky district, Trans-Baikal Territory, Erdem Tsyrenzhapov is 19 years old. He has been wrestling since he was 13 years old. In 2018, Erdem Tsyrenzhapov moved from the weight category up to 97 kg to the category up to 125 kg and joined the ranks of promising heavyweights of Buryatia. In February 2018, at the championship of the Siberian Federal District, he fulfilled the standard of the Master of Sports of Russia in freestyle wrestling and a week later at the Russian championship up to 21 year became a master of sports in sumo.
The athlete’s first coach is Gongor Dugarov, now the wrestler is training under the guidance of Bator Bazarov and Valery Ivanov.
Erdem Tsyrenzhapov has many achievements. For the 2017-18 season, he currently has “silver” in the international tournament for the prizes of Boris Budaev (Ulan-Ude, 2017), “silver” in the championship of the Siberian Federal District under 21 (Nazarovo, 2018) . In sumo, the athlete has a gold medal at the Russian Championship under 21 and a bronze award in the absolute weight category among sumo wrestlers of the same age. In addition, he took third place in the team competition in the absolute category in the age category up to 23 years at the Russian Championship in Dzerzhinsk.
Erdem enjoys making winning shots in competition. He follows the examples of his coach Gongor Tsedashievich Dugarov, as well as Alexander Bogomoev, Bayar Tsyrenov, Abdularashid Sadulayev.
Former senior coach of the youth team of Buryatia Bayar Tsyrenov believes that even now Erdem Tsyrenzhapov gives a head start to the adult wrestlers of the national team, heavyweights Baldan Tsyzhipov and Tsybik Maksarov. So, with hard work on himself, success awaits him in the heavy weight category.
According to the senior wrestling coach of the Republican Sports School of the Olympic Reserve, Zorikto Menzhikov, there are many talented guys in Buryatia, but not everyone reaches the level of elite sports.
-There are many different problems. Our guys finish early because they cannot support themselves, and the coaches cannot find sponsors who could help, - said Zorikto Menzhikov.
The editors of “BMK” did not talk about all the promising wrestlers of the republic’s youth team, but it is these guys who are expected to make a breakthrough in the new sports season.
For about half a century, Vasily Enkhoevich Garmaev has faithfully served the sport of freestyle wrestling in Buryatia. He trained a whole galaxy of famous Buryat wrestlers. The best freestyle wrestling coach of the 20th century, Honored Coach of the USSR Dmitry Mindiashvili called him a true patriot of the republic, one of those who “put Buryat wrestling on its feet, created a school that was authoritative throughout the wrestling world.”
Phenomenal organizer
Vasily Garmaev is the son of a front-line soldier who fought from Stalingrad to Berlin, the first master of sports in freestyle wrestling of the republic. The first judge in the All-Union and international categories in freestyle wrestling in Buryatia.
Any decision made by Vasily Enkhoevich becomes final and has no retroactive effect. It is difficult to tear him away from live work. Now he is 77 years old, and he is still in the thick of things in the wrestling fraternity, working as a trainer-methodologist at Children's Sports School-10.
He cannot imagine himself without struggle; it is this love that leads him through life. She makes him become furiously excited, mercilessly criticize mistakes and defend athletes and coaches with his chest.
Everyone knows that Vasily Enkhoevich has phenomenal organizational skills. Thanks to him, the first freestyle wrestling championship of the republic took place.
It was Garmaev who initiated the holding of an international freestyle wrestling tournament in the republic for the prizes of the newspaper “Rural Life” with the participation of national teams from more than 10 countries. This tournament, according to experts, gave a powerful impetus to the development of freestyle wrestling in Buryatia.
And what is his idea about holding open championships of sports societies “Dynamo”, “Burevestnik”, “Spartak”, “Trud”, “Urozhay” worth!
Fight is in the Buryat genes
Vasily Enkhoevich asserted and continues to assert that freestyle wrestling with its specific techniques seems to be specially created for the Buryats: “The ancestral memory of the Buryats, genes, is triggered.”
He was one of the first to train young village wrestlers and opened a section for classical and freestyle wrestling - on a voluntary basis.
In the newspaper “Dzhidinskaya Pravda” Valery Samdanov recalled how in 1962 a young livestock breeder Vasily Garmaev appeared in Beloozersk and immediately opened a freestyle wrestling section in the village. With the light hand of Garmaev, freestyle wrestling became the hallmark of the region. In the same year, he organized a historic match between the national teams of wrestlers from the steppe Dzhida and the mountain Tunka.
As first secretary of the district Komsomol committee, he stubbornly stuck to his line: he actively promoted freestyle wrestling, opened and helped to spread the wings of talented youth: Ravil Valeev, Anatoly Budunov, Nikolai Gomboev, Nikolai Mitapov, Tsyden-Dambe Ayusheev, Valery Garmazhapov, Viktor Abusheev, Lubsan
Aisuev. It was he who convinced history teacher Anatoly Tsaganov to become a wrestling coach in Upper Ichetui. And in Petropavlovka I noticed a tall boy Sergei Pashinsky and brought him to the freestyle wrestling section.
It marked the beginning of the traditional sports rivalry between Jida and Mongolia. At his instigation, sports competitions began to be held by profession - among shepherds, machine operators, and agricultural specialists.
He was the first Buryatia wrestler to attend the Olympic Games, after which rumors about the wrestler Garmaev spread throughout the Soviet Union. Then, in 1964, on the initiative of Dmitry Mindiashvili, the Komsomol Central Committee encouraged Vasily Garmaev, as the first freestyle wrestling master in Buryatia, with a free Komsomol ticket to the Tokyo Olympics. At that time, it was almost impossible to get to the freestyle wrestling competitions at the Olympics due to the high cost of tickets. The inventive Garmaev wrapped his head in a towel (it turned out to be a kind of turban), joined the Indian delegation and went into the hall. One of his fellow Bayangol residents remarked on this matter: “You can’t imagine a second Vasily Garmaev. It’s a whole phenomenon.”
Having headed the Urozhay children's social enterprise in 1976, Vasily Garmaev ensured that not only freestyle wrestling sports schools were opened throughout the republic, but also youth sports schools with departments for chess, checkers, athletics, and boxing. And the main subject of his concern was and remains freestyle wrestling.
Through the efforts of trainers V.N. Ivanova, N.S. Ivakhinova, G.B. Baimeeva, F.N. Makhutova, V.M. Sydeeva, V.M. Bumboshkin, the republic's freestyle wrestling team of the 70s-90s was formed. Legendary names - Oleg Alekseev, Gennady Manzhuev, Batotsyren Dashinamzhilov, Ayur Tsyrendorzhiev, Garmazhap Tsyrenov, Munko Tsydypov, Anatoly Leznov, Vladimir Vostretsov, Mikhail Elbaskin, Bair Tsyrengarmaev, Gennady Makhutov, Sergey Pashinsky, Vyacheslav Markhaev, Ilya Garmaev, Boris Budaev, Munko Tsydypov , Dorzho Khaltanov, Sergey Zambalov, Dugar Zhamsuev, Albert Khangalov.
An idea generator, a person with amazing organizational skills, organized several significant freestyle wrestling tournaments. One of his brainchildren is a competition for prizes of the regional Komsomol committee, which grew into a tournament for prizes of the head of Buryatia at an international level.
In the mid-70s, he came up with the idea of organizing an international tournament under the auspices of the newspaper “Rural Life”. Many did not believe that Garmaev would be able to organize such a large-scale tournament in Ulan-Ude, calling him a dreamer. Ah, no. The uniqueness of Garmaev is that many of his seemingly unrealistic ideas were brought to life. He went to Moscow to see the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Selskaya Zhizn, a member of the CPSU Central Committee, and unnoticedly slipped past the security guard. A few minutes later, he calmly went downstairs and convinced the guard to let the then state coach of the sports committee, Klim Olzoev, through.
In a conversation with Alexander Pavlovich Kharlamov, he was so convincing (Siberia needs just such a tournament!) that the editor-in-chief of the popular newspaper had no choice but to give the go-ahead. At the very first tournament for the prizes of the newspaper “Rural Life”, which immediately became international, seven Buryat wrestlers became champions.
The wind of hopes and partings. The first spring wind of love. Free steppe wind. And freestyle. All this happened in the life of a man of extraordinary destiny. There was also a wartime childhood filled with anxiety. There were also victories - over oneself, over circumstances, victories at work and, of course, in sports, on the wrestling mat.
In search of truth
The hero of our story won his main victories in his short sports career in the now distant 1962 - at the first two championships of the republic in freestyle wrestling. However, for five decades there was no definitive list of the winners of those Republican wrestling forums. It was based on newspaper publications, which included inaccuracies, and on the fading memories of sports veterans.
Four years ago, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of freestyle wrestling in Buryatia, the leading sports historian of the republic, Candidate of Historical Sciences, began searching for documents that were supposed to shed light on the truth. Vladimir Fomin. After a painstaking search, he managed to find in the archives the protocols of the first and second wrestling championships of the republic, which took place in 1962: the individual championship took place in January, and the individual-team championship in November. According to the competition protocols found by Vladimir Aleksandrovich, we had in our hands documented lists of the winners of those memorable championships. So, judging by the protocols, the winners (in order of weight categories) were: individual championship (January 27-28, 1962) - V. Sandakdorzhiev(52 kg, “Labor”), M. Kharpukhaev(57 kg, “Spartak”), S. Dobrynin(63 kg, “Spartak”), I. Babkin(70 kg, “Spartak”), B. Churakov(78 kg, “Spartak”), V. Garmaev(87 kg, Agricultural Institute). Personal-team championship (October 27-28, 1962) – Sandakdorzhiev, Kharpukhaev, Baimeev (“Petrel”), Norboev (“Petrel”), Syrkin (“Trud”), Shakhtorin (“Petrel”), Pashkevich (“Hammer”) "), Mikheev ("Petrel").
It turns out that V. Sandakdorzhiev (as written in the competition protocol) forever entered the history of sports in Buryatia as the first champion of the first Buryatia freestyle wrestling championship. Unfortunately, the protocols did not indicate the names and patronymics of the winners, only the initial letters of the names. This, of course, made it difficult to find a champion about whom little is known. And a lot of water has flowed under the full-flowing Khilka since then, and therefore the veterans of wrestling did not remember anything about it. Only the aksakal of the struggle, Nima Ivakhinov, did not deny that there was such a fighter - Sandakdorzhiev, and pointed out the direction (though not entirely accurate) of the search - the Aginsky Buryat Okrug.
The search for one of the pioneers of freestyle wrestling of the republic dragged on for four years... Wherever I turned during this time - to the editorial office of the regional newspaper of the Kizhinginsky District (the surname Sandakdorzhiev is common in those parts) and to television - but all to no avail. And finally, this spring, thanks to information from a journalist Soelma Sandakdorzhieva in the handset of the mobile phone I heard the voice of the pioneer freestyler.
Are you Sandakdorzhiev, the first champion? - I ask, doubting, what if it’s not him?
There is a pause on the mobile phone. And then - oh, Eureka! - the long-awaited answer: “Yes, I fought in the sixty-second championship of the republic.”
What's your name? – I’m in a hurry to quickly find out the name and patronymic of one of the pioneers of the sport, strong and strong-willed people.
According to the documents, the hero of our story is Badma Erdyneevich Sandakdorzhiev, but all his life he has been called Sergei Erdyneevich.
I've been off my feet searching. And the first champion, it turns out, has been living next to us for many years. Due to modesty, he never announced himself or talked about his achievements in sports. I didn’t beat myself in the chest with my fist, saying that I am well-deserved and over-deserved.
As I expected, it turned out that the wrestler Sergey (Badma) Sandakdorzhiev after his memorable victories he left the borders of Buryatia. And after graduating from high school, he “gave up” with wrestling and rarely visited the city of his youth...
Memories came flooding back to Sergei Erdyneevich...
I joined the fight late
There is an amazingly beautiful place in Transbaikalia - the valley of the “turbulent” Khilka, or rather, a region shrouded in legends at the foot of three mountains - Gurban Baytahad. It was there that the son of collective farmer Sandakdorzhi Erdyneev was born in the harsh winter of 1943.
It was hard, very hard,” Sergei Erdyneevich mentally transports himself to his childhood. - Hungry, cold. We never ate enough bread.
From childhood he began helping his parents with housework. From the age of four, the young boy, who had grown up early, began hauling haystacks. Chopped wood, carried water. The boy’s already difficult situation was aggravated by the fact that his dad was “taken away” during the war. And they imprisoned his father, who worked as a collective farm accountant and storekeeper, accusing him of “embezzlement” (180 kg of grain were missing). Three young children were left in the mother’s arms...
What kind of sport is there after the war, there was no time before that! - continues Sergei Erdyneevich. – Yes, and there were no sections in our village. Sometimes, however, they played rounders and ball.
He joined the sport quite late by modern standards.
In 1960, I failed the exam at the Agricultural Institute and got a job as a worker in the capital construction department of an aircraft plant, living in a dormitory,” recalls the sports veteran. – In mid-October, I saw an advertisement for recruiting young people for classical (Greco-Roman) wrestling and came to the gym of school No. 22.
So his first coach in the “classics” was the doctor of the physical education and sports dispensary, Vladimir Intigrinov. It was then that in a small school gym on folding mats, he showed the first techniques to a newcomer from Transbaikal who was burning with the desire to achieve something in sports - throws through the hip and bending over the “bridge”. The young wrestler, who was not distinguished by good “physics,” focused his training on technique. Soon he replenished his arsenal with “coasting”.
In September sixty-one, Sergei, as part of the Trud-2 team, took second place in the republican championship in classical wrestling. In the fall, he began training under the tutelage of Mels Kharpukhaev, who at the same time trained novice freestyle wrestlers.
Got “from the ship to the ball”
In January sixty-two, according to Sergei Erdyneevich, they began to recruit the Buryatia freestyle wrestling team to participate in the zonal championship in Vladivostok. The decisive stage of the selection was the first championship in the history of the republic. The winner of the historical competition, Sergei Sandakdorzhiev, was naturally included in the national team.
In the first “zone” the team did not compete so well - they took second or third place, although from the end, recalls the wrestling veteran. – Then I lost to a Yakut wrestler and a Khabarovsk fighter. After the zonal competitions, our section closed (the coach left), and I had nowhere to train. Therefore, I worked in fits and starts, either in Trud or in Spartak.
In Trud I trained for some time with Sergei Dobrynin: I went there so as not to lose shape, because as part of “Trud” I was preparing for the second personal-team championship of the republic among freestyle athletes. And after the Buryatia Championship, where he again became the best in the flyweight category, he was “jumped off the boat to the ball”: he was drafted into the army.
Sergei Sandakdorzhiev served in the Trans-Baikal Military District. It remains a mystery how he could be called up for service with such poor eyesight (-6.5).
Just at that time, the Chita army wrestlers were trained by the legendary mentor - Honored Trainer of the RSFSR Ilya Romanovich Frundzhiev. Once, an eminent coach, seeing a Buryat “flyman” on the mat, did not fail to use the instruction: “Seryozha, your legs are as thin as matches: you need to lift the barbell!”
There were other, no less interesting, and sometimes funny episodes in the sports biography of the first champion. Once on the plane, the head of the Buryat delegation that was flying to Grozny several times turned to Sergei “Leonid Khadalaevich” to remember the “new name”, because due to the lack of a qualification category, he had to go to a competition in 1966 Grozny under someone else's name.
Sergei Erdyneevich will never forget the instructions of the outstanding Buryat coach Gennady Baimeev(during the years of study at the Institute of Technology). Due to poor eyesight, doctors forbade him to go on the wrestling mat, and Gennady Batiurovich somehow managed to negotiate with the doctors so that Sergei would compete.
After graduating from VSTI (now VSGUTU), Sergei Sandakdorzhiev forever hung up wrestling. As assigned, he went to work in his small homeland - in the Khiloksky district. He worked as a foreman at Mezhkolkhozstroy.
And in 1978 he returned to Buryatia. He settled in the village of Tamcha, Selenginsky district. He worked on the railway (before retiring in PCh-14). There, in Tamcha, somewhere in the depths of his soul, Sergei Erdyneevich always wanted to train boys. In the early 80s, after a visit from one of the first masters of sports in freestyle wrestling of Buryatia, he tried to create a freestyle wrestling section. It didn’t work out: it wasn’t possible to “knock out” the wrestling mats.
But everything turned out well for the elder of struggle in life. Sergei Erdyneevich has long been on a well-deserved rest. He takes care of the garden “at the dacha.” He rejoices at the successes of the Buryat “freestylers” and, of course, the successes of his children – Erdeni, Zorigto and otkhonchik Balzhit. They are already adults, they have long stood on their feet. He dotes on his two granddaughters. And he advises young people to break away from computers, video games and play sports.
“Sport is sport, it gives a person health, physical strength and self-confidence,” says the elder of freestyle wrestling of Buryatia and smiles. Maybe he remembers how he worked miracles on elastic flooring?..
Photo from the personal archive of Sergei Sandakdorzhiev
One of the legendary wrestlers of Buryatia is Nima Sosorovich Ivakhinov. For many years he had no equal on the mat, winning championships in Buryatia, the USSR, international competitions, major tournaments in Mongolia and other countries.
To begin with, let's give a brief biography of the famous wrestler. Nima Sorovich was born in November 1938 in the village of Khurlik, Tunkinsky district of Buryatia, in the vicinity of the village of Arshan, on the banks of the Tunka River. He graduated from high school in the village of Kyren, and later studied to become a veterinarian at the Buryat Agricultural Academy, where he actively devoted himself to sports.
Nima Ivakhinov was involved in wrestling from an early age, because this is a national men's competition of the Buryats. But initially he was going to connect his life not with wrestling, but with boxing. According to Nima Sosorovich, in those years wrestling was not yet popular as a sport, while boxing was practiced everywhere.
When I was still at school, I beat a bag of sawdust for three years, so my blow is very powerful. It was fashionable then, there was no trace of freestyle wrestling, only classical wrestling here and there,” recalls the sports veteran.
But health problems prevented him from becoming a boxer. Doctors discovered a heart murmur, and although Nima Ivakhinov did not feel any problems, he had to give up the boxing path.
I was kicked out of boxing. Coach Alexander Badmazhapov was very upset when I was forbidden to go. But in wrestling there was no such thorough medical examination, only one medical examination and that was it. And in boxing, before each competition you have to undergo an examination,” says Nima Sosorovich.
So he had to devote himself to the fight. According to him, although he wrestled in rural surkharbans from a young age, he became closely involved in wrestling at the institute, around 1962, when he began to engage in Greco-Roman or classical wrestling.
Returning to Tunka to work as a livestock specialist on a collective farm, Nima Sosorovich managed to interest his peers in Greco-Roman wrestling and organized the first wrestling section in the village of Galbay, equipping a gym in an empty house. Young enthusiasts themselves sewed mats from tarpaulin and filled them with sawdust, and built a stove. Soon, together with the physical education teacher of the Kyrensky boarding school, Sayan Shokhonov, they organized the Tunkinsky district championship in Greco-Roman wrestling. Later, having already moved to Ulan-Ude, Nima Sosorovich was one of the founders of the children's and youth wrestling sports school (now SDUSSHOR-7), organized a wrestling section at VSTI (now VSGUTU), where he worked as a physical education teacher.
Later, when freestyle wrestling began to gain popularity in Buryatia, Nima Ivakhinov began to engage in it. Among his many victories, he recalls the USSR championship among rural athletes, which he won in 1965. And the most memorable, in his words, were the interregional competitions in which Irkutsk, Chita, and Tuva took part. Since then, there have been victories in a variety of tournaments, be it regional surkharbans or international tournaments held abroad. Now Nima Sosorovich is an honored coach, master of sports. Already at the end of his sports career, Nima Sosorovich competed at the veterans’ tournament in Canada, where he won bronze. At that time he was 55 years old.
After becoming a coach, Nima Sosorovich trained many champions. Among them are such famous athletes as Russian champion Vladimir Aktinov and his brother Leonid Aktinov, a master of all types of wrestling, be it freestyle, classical or judo. Or Syren Arduev, who in 1968 was the first to fulfill the master of sports standard in rural conditions, and replaced his mentor after he moved to Ulan-Ude. Or international master of sports Maxim Molonov.
The strongest was Nikolai Ivanov. He did everything he needed – he won everything,” recalls Nima Sosorovich.
Now the honored athlete has been retired for many years. According to Nima Sosorovich, at 78 he feels vigorous for his age.
I still have heart murmurs, but I don’t feel any weakness. “I feel fine, although I’m already 79 years old,” says the elderly wrestler.
According to him, wrestling gave him a lot, strengthening his character and improving his health. And one day his passion for martial arts saved his life.
I lived in Ulan-Ude on Shishkovka, there are a lot of hooligans there. One evening I was walking and a guy wanted to stab me with a knife. I simply put my hand out with a machine gun, and immediately hit him in the jaw, knocking him down,” recalls Nima Ivakhinov.
One might add that he is familiar with another famous wrestling coach from Tunka, Syren-Dorzhi Andrenov, and his student, deaf Olympic champion Alexander Tsoktoev. Nima Sosorovich is also familiar with the ex-head of the Tuninsky district, entrepreneur and head of the RPO “Kita” Andrei Samarinov.
Andrei Samarinov was raised by my cousin Sosor Sanzheevna in Mondy when he studied there,” says Nima Ivakhinov.
The famous philanthropist Andrei Samarinov provided sponsorship to his chess-playing granddaughters, Inna and Nadezhda. Nima Sosorovich is very proud of the successes of her granddaughters: Inna Ivakhinova won the European Youth Championships twice, Nadezhda also achieved a lot in chess, becoming a FIDE master. The elderly wrestler is very glad that his granddaughters devoted themselves to chess. He did not approve of the idea that they could follow in his footsteps by doing women's wrestling.
What kind of fight? When women fight, it’s very bad,” says Nima Sosorovich.
Note that in 1976, Nima Sosorovich moved to Ulan-Ude after he was given an apartment. However, he often travels to the Tunkinsky district to visit his relatives, who now live in the village of Arshan. The honored athlete greatly admires the nature of the Tunkinsky region, especially its springs, which heal various ailments.
We have many different healing springs. Previously, healers-lamas knew which source cured which disease, and put tags there. One of these lamas died at the age of 92, the doctor Baiminov, a relative of the businessman Baiminov, says Nima Ivakhinov.
Monitoring events in his small homeland, the honored athlete knows about the conflict that split the Tunkinsky district into two camps after last year’s presidential elections. But the famous wrestler shies away from political infighting. “I don’t go there and I don’t support anyone,” says Nima Sosorovich. He sincerely wishes his fellow countrymen to overcome their differences and come to reconciliation. The honored athlete also has wishes for the residents of Buryatia as a whole.
I want to wish everyone health and family happiness, so that there will be children and grandchildren. My great-grandson is running around here, my granddaughter is rattling dishes. And I would like young athletes to train regularly. There is always time for training. You don’t have to put too much effort into it, but training should be regular,” says Nima Ivakhinov.