Mactheuicx Castellanos: “María Guédez motivated not only me, but all of Venezuela to win”

Venezuelan sambist Mactheuicx Castellanos won a bronze medal at the A. Kharlampiev Memorial SAMBO World Cup in March. Today, his main goal is to win a medal at the World Championships in Bulgaria. In an interview with the FIAS website, Mactheuicx talked about the importance of diet, a winning attitude and motivation from María Guédez.
“Our whole team is well prepared for the championships. The Venezuelan SAMBO team that will be competing in Sofia includes three men and two women. And each of us is aiming to win,” Castellanos said.
He said the flight from Caracas to Sofia had taken more than a day, so the athletes were feeling really tired. However, they promise to be in top shape by the start of the championships.
“I personally trained really hard for this start. There were a few basic rules: follow a healthy diet and always keep in mind that you want to win a medal,” Mactheuicx admits. “Venezuelan athlete María Guédez became a world champion last year. Now every sambist in our country also dreams of winning a medal at a main tournament.”
Mactheuicx Castellanos is María Guédez’ personal trainer, so he knows nearly everything about her.
“After winning the gold medal, María received universal recognition in Venezuela, and now she’s really popular in the country. She’s always in the news, and she's invited to a lot of interviews,” says Mactheuicx. “This medal has also really changed her life. María comes from a fairly poor family, and the government gave her an apartment, despite the difficult economic situation in the country.”
Castellanos says that María is his long-term training partner. They’re always together, and her triumph is his triumph.
“María motivated not only me, but all of Venezuela to win. It’s very hard for Pan American countries to fight against Europeans, who have a strong tradition in SAMBO. But she showed all of us, that if you train hard, you can beat them. She’s an inspiration for us all!”
-
Did you see it? 28 AugustAustralian sambist visited the International SAMBO Center and spoke about her plans to compete at the Olympics
-
Did you see it? 4 AugustIn Yerevan a barrel of cognac was laid, which will be opened when SAMBO enters the Olympic program
-
Did you see it? 28 JulySambists in the Philippines staged a demonstration performance
- Watch World Beach Sambo Championships 2023 in Dominican Republic 14 September 2023
-
Competitions 24 SeptemberResults of the 2nd Day of the World SAMBO Cup 2023 in Serbia
-
Competitions 23 SeptemberDraw of the 2nd Day of the World Sambo Cup 2023 in Serbia
-
Competitions 23 SeptemberResults of the 1st Day of the World SAMBO Cup 2023 in Serbia
- Watch World Sambo Championships 2022. Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan 17 November 2022
-
Competitions 24 SeptemberResults of the 2nd Day of the World SAMBO Cup 2023 in Serbia
-
Competitions 23 SeptemberDraw of the 2nd Day of the World Sambo Cup 2023 in Serbia
-
Competitions 23 SeptemberResults of the 1st Day of the World SAMBO Cup 2023 in Serbia