It’s hard to call you Jambul Vibliani, when everyone knows you as Roman Tsindeliani. What made you come back to armwrestling?

Armwrestling is like a drug. Many have quit, just to come back again. Even Alexey Voevoda himself. I know he’s preparing his comeback, and we’re bound to see him in some tournament. Many people are waiting for it.

Many armwrestlers know your history, what happened a few years ago. We’d like you to tell us yourself, if you don’t mind.

In 2009, I went to USA. In 2010 I fought in the Russian team in the WC in Mesquite, I had a green card already. It was a dream come true for me. And so I lived happily until the year 2011, when in April I was detained by the FBI, ate the request of the Georgian government. Supposedly, I have killed some people in the 90’s in Georgia. Seeing as I was a Russian citizen, they couldn’t take moe to Georgia straight away, I was extradited to Moscow. Russia wanted to extradite me too. But their moves were limited, because Russia and Georgia had no diplomatic relations.

Why did this happen to you? Have you had some quarrels with any Georgian official?

Back in the 90’s I had to change my name due to the Russian – Georgian governments relations. So in 1998 I changed my name and left for Russia. Somehow they’ve learned of it, when I was already in the USA with a green card. The funniest thing is that since 1999 I’ve been in every tournament, I’m a world champion, my picture is everywhere, but nobody noticed that before.

Wasn’t this an act of desperation? Many people think that, everyone knew you as Roman Tsindeliani, and all of a sudden such things emerge from your past …

I don’t think this was unusual or desperate. I changed my name and started in tournaments, as before. By extraditing me to Russia – and then to Georgia – they’ve stripped me of my Russian citizenship, which they claimed I’ve received illegally. From my arrest till the end of the trial, it took the m 1,5 year to start the procedures to extradite me to Georgia. When I was in Russia, the Georgian government changed a lot, Mikheil Saakashvili left and other people came. That speeded up the procedures of my transfer from Russia to Georgia. Back in Georgia I was cleared of all charges, set free from jail. Turned out that all charges were fake. They had nothing on me except my name change.

Ok, now that you’re free – what are your plans? We’ve all been expecting you at the WC in Gdynia, but you weren’t there, what happened?

I was banned from entering Schengen by Germany, I couldn’t enter the EU. The most curious thing is that I’ve never been to Germany before, even during the EC’s in Hanau in 2003. My lawyers have sent an official request, now I’m waiting for information why I cannot enter the EU. And seeing as bureaucracy is slow, we’re still waiting. The reason might be that I was wanted for serious crimes, but that’s no longer an issue. The question is - do they know that? This year I’ll try to go to the WC in Lithuania, if the procedures allow it. If not, I’ll keep on fighting!

I’m satisfied with my EC scores, 2^nd in left and 1^st in right. I hope to go to many contests abroad. I miss Poland and the Zloty Tur contest, which I’ve won many times.

Igor Mazurenko