Alamzhon Mullaev: "The priority task is to improve the work of national federations"

President of the Sambo Union of Asia Alamzhon Mullaev told in an interview to the FIAS website about how he assesses the organization of the Asian Championships in Tashkent, how the competition among the continent's sambists has changed, and what tasks he sets himself for the new presidential term.

– It's no secret that the Asian Championships in Tashkent actually became a rehearsal for the November World Championships. How successful is it, in your opinion?

– I was satisfied. The more such competitions take place, the better. There is never a lot of experience – each new one makes you overestimate the previous one. We'll highlight the successes, take a close look at the shortcomings, and move on. I have no doubt that in November we will be able to surprise the SAMBO world. The Ministry of Sports and Tourism of the country and the National Olympic Committee will also exert their efforts for this. Their support is important to us.

– Can we say that the SAMBO Association of Uzbekistan has coped with its tasks?

– This is without a doubt so. I would like to thank personally its head Alisher Alimov and his entire team for the work done. It is worth noting that before he took up this position, the situation was different. Now we all feel the difference. Alisher Rikhsibaevich is an energetic leader who was able to assemble a team of like-minded people from reliable and active persons.

– Is the absence of fans in the stands a necessary measure?

– Yes. We decided to abandon them due to the difficult epidemiological situation in the world. Apart from officials and heads of federations, only athletes, coaches, medical personnel and representatives of national teams were present in the hall. Just local ensembles and artists delighted us at the opening. We believe and hope that in November we will be able to fill the sports arena to capacity and please the fans of SAMBO. We will think about how to surprise them.

– Despite the dominance of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, it seems that the level of competition on the continent has grown…

– I agree with you. Many medal bouts have become much more stubborn and are held in an uncompromising struggle. Plus, there was an impression that many people simply missed major competitions. I looked at the guys, many of them had burning eyes. It's nice that, despite the difficulties, athletes from Iraq and Palestine arrived in Tashkent. It is a pity that the representatives of Mongolia and Southeast Asian countries did not get there, then it would have been even hotter on the mats. But they can also be understood – it is difficult to serve a two-week quarantine upon returning home. By the way, in the near future we plan to hold an open championship in Indonesia in order to stir up this region a little, and next year – to give the continent's championship to Lebanon in order to use it for a kind of SAMBO “invasion” of the Middle East. As for Asia as a whole, we are undoubtedly growing. This was noticeable in the results and at the World Championships held in Serbia.

– Were you surprised that the girls from Kazakhstan came to the tournament in a phenomenal shape?

– Yes, it made an impression. The scattering of gold medals clearly demonstrates how correctly the work in the national team is structured. This means that coaches and athletes work at the same time, there is trust and mutual understanding between them.

– You were re-elected as the head of the Sambo Union of Asia until 2025. What tasks do you set for yourself for this period?

– The priority task is to improve the work of national federations and focus on youth in order to preserve the continuity of generations. Especially in those countries where SAMBO is just taking its first steps. Without a doubt, we hope that it will be possible to influence China by enlisting the support at the highest level. Keeping in mind how they train athletes, the prospects seem colossal. Moreover, if everything goes according to plan, I will only be glad to the growth of competition on the continent, because popularization and progress are important to us.

– Don't you think that the popularity of a sport, among other things, depends on its entertainment, and in this respect, Combat SAMBO surpasses the usual…

– Not without it. The example of mixed martial arts shows that the sport is developing at a frantic pace, adjusting, among other things, to the viewer. Sponsors and television play an important role. People want dynamism, wow-effect, and Combat SAMBO fully responds to these needs.