These will be the first international disabled championships ever. What are the moods?

I always liked to be the first to organize something. First armfights, first Nemiroffs, Zloty Tur, and now the first disabled world championships. When I organized the Zloty Tur in the Tornado club, I never dreamed that it will become a world – renown event. I’m very optimistic for the Puck tournament, as a new chapter in the history of armwrestling.

A separate disabled championships caused a lot of controversy in Poland. In Russia, for example, the idea was met with enthusiasm. Why the difference in opinions?

People don’t realize that what we’ve done so far was a bit against the rules. You shouldn’t put people with cerebral palsy or limbs dysfunctions and regular people in one tournament. Nobody checked doctor’s opinions for these people for their weight category, etc. For example, at the last WCs in Lithuania, a disabled person fainted in the masters category. Something really bad might have happened. There were more situations like this previously, fortunately nothing really tragic happened –but it’s just a matter of time. Like a delayed explosion.

Now, the new International Armsport Federation for Persons with Physical Disabilities (IAFPPD ), has made it its goal to organize a tournament with strict rules and categories, set long before by the Olympic Committee.

And so, we have four categories: limb dysfunctions: 1. Fighting in seated position, 2.fighting in stand-up position, and also: 3. sight-impaired and 4.hearing-impaired.

There are no fighters fight mental disabilities, because all fighters must have full mental capacity to obey referee’s orders and be aware of their own actions.

New things always cause a little fear. Are there any reasons to be afraid in this case?

Some fear new things, others are just interested in them. There’s nothing to fear here. There are strict rules and categories, according to Olympic rules. Our organization hopes to join the Olympic family in the near future,. That’s why the changes are inevitable.

Was organizing two WCs back-to-back a huge challenge?

No, we’ve begun preparations long before. There are no open problems in this case, all is signed and sealed. Now we just have to do our job and then draw conclusions.

What could we wish to the contestants?

Good fights, good scores, and – hopefully – meeting at the Olympics in a few years.

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