Pavel Funtikov: Easy victories do not happen at the World Championship among Youth

Facing the start of the SAMBO World Championship among juniors and youth Pavel Funtikov, Russian Merited Trainer, whose trainees also participate in the tournament gave an interview to our website. The trainer told us where dark horses in the youth sport are from, why the Russian team keeps hardly the leading positions and what the world SAMBO prospects are for the next 3-4 years.

–What goals do you set yourself and your trainees at the World Championship?

– Of course we want to gain experience in the international competitions in the combats with competitors from the greatest number of countries as possible. We will try to show our best. The Championship among Youth is a high stage to perfection. The main goal of all the SAMBO practitioners in future is the World Championship. And we regard the Championship among Youth as an opportunity to grow sportsmen, give confidence in their strength for them to gain international experience of the competitions and move to the tournaments for adults. It will allow obtaining particular experience in performances and victories at top level.

– How great is the competition among the SAMBO practitioners at this age?

– In fact the competition among the adults, youth as well as juniors is equally great. Easy victories do not happen at the World Championship among Youth since it is a very difficult tournament. The practice of the latest years shows that the Russian team keeps hardly the leading position in the world. We constantly feel the great competition with Belarus, Georgia and Ukraine. These countries offer resistance growing every year. And it is fine, because the competition promotes development of the Russian team and the World SAMBO on the whole.

–You have named the countries that have already proven themselves in the SAMBO world. Should we expect emergence of dark horses in the coming Championship among Youth?

– Dark horses always emerge in the youth sport (it concerns not only SAMBO), because the sportsmen are not stable enough yet. Only some time later the SAMBO practitioners will gain experience and strengthen their positions in the select teams of their countries thanks to the acquired experience. And the youth teams constantly get renewed, that is why the surprises that are impossible to be ready for always should be expected.

– The Bulgarian SAMBO practitioners who are the hosts of the tournament will certainly try to perform especially effective…

– Generally speaking the Bulgarian SAMBO is famous for its great traditions. I am sure there will be sportsmen who will be able to rejoice their spectators, trainers and their federation by successful performances. I can hardly judge how strong their junior team is. It will become clear during the tournament.

– It is difficult to overestimate the significance of the tournament for the SAMBO prospects they say?

– It is definitely the tournament that creates the future SAMBO stars. It should be noted that youth teams in any sport are the immediate reserve of all federations and all countries. At the World Championship we will have an opportunity to watch what the world SAMBO prospects are for the next 3-4 years. The sportsmen who are going to perform in Sofia will join the national teams in some time. And of course each sportsman would like to come to the national team with the rank of the winner.

In the photo: Pavel Funtikov (from the left) with his trainee.