Vahagn CHALYAN: "I intend to at least repeat last year's result at the World Championships"

Armenian athlete Vahagn Chalyan believes that he cannot count his performances at international competitions this year as an asset. However, in September he won a silver medal in the 88 kg weight category in Sport SAMBO at the Cup of the President of the NOC of Armenia Gagik Tsarukyan, and is now actively preparing for the November World SAMBO Championships. The sambist spoke about all this in detail in an interview with the FIAS website.

Last year you won the Cup of the President of the NOC of Armenia Gagik Tsarukyan, this year you reached the final, but lost. What prevented you from winning?

– Indeed, last year I managed to win, but this time in the final I had a very formidable opponent – the titled sambist Sergey Ryabov. In the first half of the match, I was leading 1:0, but then I still lost, since I was technically a little behind him. Nevertheless, I am happy with the result.

You have already won medals at various international SAMBO tournaments. Which of them are the most valuable for you?

– Last year, I was fifth at the European Championships, then I won the Cup of the President of the NOC of Armenia Gagik Tsarukyan, then I won bronze at the World Cup. In November last year, I became the bronze medalist of the World Championships in Yerevan. To date, I consider this achievement to be the highest in my career.

I cannot yet consider this year very successful, since I was injured at the European Championships in Serbia and was forced to miss the World Cup in Kyrgyzstan in August.

You had three bouts at the tournament in Armenia. How difficult were they, and which of them was the most difficult?

– All the bouts were difficult, since the strongest athletes in the FIAS rating participate in this tournament. On my way to the final, I had fights with Kazakh and Kyrgyz athletes – world champions, as well as champions of Asia and Oceania. Fortunately, I managed to win and reach the final.

In the final, you initially took the lead, but then allowed your opponent to make several effective technical moves. What happened?

– My final was with four-time world champion and winner of the European Games Sergey Ryabov. Since my youth, I have been closely following the performances of this sambist and studying his style and techniques. By the way, my teammates Ashot Danielyan and David Grigoryan have already met him on the mat, which allowed me to analyze their bouts and get conclusions.

Despite the small advantage that I managed to get at the beginning of the bout, I was unable to bring it to a victorious end. My opponent made a technical move and took the lead, then brought the bout to victory.

You competed at home. How much did the support of the stands help you?

– It helped a lot. Including thanks to the support of the stands, I managed to win last year and reach the final this year.

How important was it for you to take part in this tournament?

– It is no secret that the Cup of the President of the NOC of Armenia is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the FIAS calendar: strong athletes, world champions, prize winners, winners of the European, Asian and Oceanian, African and Pan American championships are invited to participate in it.

It was important for me to take part in this tournament to test my strength and compete with the best. And, of course, we should not forget about the prize fund, which is a great incentive for all participants in the competition.

What are your plans for the World Championships?

– We are starting training camps and preparations for the World Championships. This year I intend to at least repeat last year's result.