I beg your pardon once again for the title but what I want is to “entice” this way Dear Readers to the article.

My Hero will definitely cause quite a stir at the table this year. It’s high time to learn both him and the country he represents.

At the previous article titled “Who will win the Nemiroff 2012” I drew your attention to a good development of a certain competitor from South Africa. Let us have a close look at the balance sheet of the World Championship 2011 and 2012 in the category up to 100 kg.

Kazakhstan (2011), left hand: Dmitriy Trubin (Kazakhstan) I, Murat Kariaev (Russia) II, Evgeny Kriulin (Russia) on the third place, IV Dzmitry Semko from Belarus, on the fifth place is Maksym Tereshchuk  (Ukraine).

The sheet has had an impressive change after the championship in Brazil. The highest result had Dzmitriy Shmyko. The third place took Trubin. Who managed to win a silver? That was Terence Opperman (RSA). What about the right-handed competitors? „Krasi” is gold again. Arsen „Shrek” Liliev got a silver, but the third competitor in 2011, Vasili Dautashvili from Georgia, is currently giving a bronze into the hands of Terence Opperman. Russian Evgeny Kriulin, falls out of the first four also because of Terence.

We are now most interested in the Nemiroff 2012, so let us have a look at the results of the previous competitions that took place in autumn 2011. The ones who were the first, the second and the third in the category up to 95 kg are known to every fan.

Let’s go further then: Trubin was the fourth one. Opperman was only the eighth. He was preceded by Cyplenkov, Pushkar, Bagent, Trubin, Patrikeev and Karpov. And now listen carefully! Trubin probably won’t come to Warsaw…

During the ARMFIGHT №42 in Bulgaria Terence managed to get the penultimate place in the “Great Eight”in the catweight category up to 100 kg. Though he was number six during the A1 in Moscow in the left hand category. Let’s see at the company he was in:

SENIOR MEN LEFT 110 KG
1. TSORIEV DZAMBOLAT RUSSIA;
2. MATIUSHENKO IVAN RUSSIA;
3. CHAPUKHYAN ARMEN ARMENIA;
4. SEMERENKO ALEXEY UKRAINE;
5. LITOVCEV EVGENI UKRAINE;
6. OPPERMAN TERRENCE SOUTH AFRICA;
7. KHADAEV CHERMEN RUSSIA;
8. TOKAREV SERGEY UKRAINE;
9. SMIRNOV KONSTANTIN BELARUS

This category counted 15 competitors.

In the category of right hand fight, during the A1 – the first three competitors in the category up to110 kg.

SENIOR MEN RIGHT 110 KG
1. SEMERENKO ALEXEY. UKRAINE;
2. TOKAREV SERGEY. UKRAINE;
3. OPPERMAN TERRENCE. SOUTH AFRICA;

It’s worth seeing who they were followed by:
4. KUDAYAROV FARKHOD UZBEKISTAN;
5. SOLOVEV MIHAIL RUSSIA;
6. KHADAEV CHERMEN RUSSIA;
7. SMIRNOV KONSTANTIN BELARUS;
8. KUBIK YAKOV RUSSIA;
9. MINAEV ANTON RUSSIA;
10. KULYASOV SERGEY RUSSIA;
11. LITOVCEV EVGENI UKRAINE;
12. TSORIEV DZAMBOLAT RUSSIA;
13. MAIER SERGEJ GERMANY;
14. BONDARENKO DENIS RUSSIA;
15. SKODTAEV ANATOLIJ RUSSIA;
16. CYGANOV DANIIL RUSSIA;

Then came the already mentioned World Championship. Is there any progress? I think it is. What’s going to happen, what will it look like? I spoke with Terence after my return from Brazil.

Hi, how was it in Brazil?

Terence: Terrific! A good competition, the weather, the sun, the beach and delicious food. During the first two days I acted as a referee and improved my skills.

I’m very satisfied with this fact. I’m also happy with my performance at the championship. In the left hand category I got a silver and a bronze in the right hand category. I lost only with two of the competitors. Twice with a Belarussian Dzmitri Shmyko in the left hand category, I won with him in the final but then was a rematch. In the second final fight we probably gave the best fight that day, it was very close to a different result and at the same time an injury was just around the corner. Two times I lost with Arsen Liliev at the right hand category and won the third place. The match of the day was a duel between Arsen and Krasimir Kostadinov in the final. We are great friends and that is why I kept my fingers crossed for them both, it would have been best for both of them to become the gold medalists. They really deserved it.

Another time with the Shrek.

Terence: In the nearest time I’m going to give him more difficult conditions!

And what were the results of your team?

Terence: The South Africa team had eight competitors this year. We gained a few medals. Berdene Muller in the women’s master category up to 80 kg – two bronze medals; Dewet Botha – bronze, the senior category up to 85 kg; My bronze and silver in the category up to 100 kg. Danie Fourie in the category up to 90 kg was close the quarter final; Wian de Bruyn +80 finished his performance at the fifth place.

What do you think about it?

Terence: I’ll put it this way – I guess it’s a good result. You know, we have less than 70 competitors in the whole country, in the whole South Africa.

From back left: Danie Fourie, Terence Opperman, Dewet Botha, Reinhard Swanpool, Berdene Muller. Front row. Wian De Bruyn, Ruan Koorsen, Mickyla Fulton.

You will come to Poland, of course?

Terence: Once we manage to find the sponsors we’ll definitely come to the Nemiroff. To me it’s an event of the year!  I do my best in my preparation for the competition. I do the trainings at home and in the club. As far as the club is concerned I go there three times a week. At the table we have sparrings once or twice a week. But I don’t mix the trainings with the weights and the trainings at the table at the one-week-cycle. With the weights I do a lot of exercises for the forearms, the shoulders and the fingers. The static, concentric exercises are aimed at the strength increase with the help of the specific techniques. I’m working to perform in Poland at the category up to 95 kg.

Who would you like to meet at the Cup?

Terence: My favourite competitors who are an example for me. I’d like Michael Todd, Devon Larratt, Travis Bagent, Ivan Matushenko, Tim Bresnam, and Alexey Semerenko to come. And, of course, Arsen Lilliev, Krasimir Kostaninov, Todd Hutchings, and finally „the two men from Georgia” the Brothers Babayev and Tokarev. I must also mention John Brzenk. If he enters the competition in the category up to 95 kg, I think he’ll be the winner.

Are you coming with the dad? We haven’t seen each other quite long.

Terence: This time I’m taking my wife with me.

What a pity! I like talking with Boeta about politics.

PeSzy

Translation: Mayflower

Bulgaria. They fought. I took the cup! I gave it to „Shrek”