Vladimir, what is the number of this "A Battle of Titans"? Are you organizing such competitions before?

"A Battle of Titans" is a regular event, it’s hold not at first in Odessa. But I take part in it as an organizer for the second time. Last year there were about one hundred participants, they came from all over Ukraine. We also organized such large-scale competitions in other sports but I am hooked by arm wrestling most.

Why?

It all started because my friend – armwrestler Peter Margarint. He just invited me to the gym and it started ... Then I injured my wrist, so my sport career was finished. But I was not able to leave armwrestling, I loved it. In addition, I would like Peter and other sportsmen get a development and perform at a decent level. Now I run a sport club "Sparta" in Odessa and make a variety of sport events.

What attracts me in armsport? When boys are fighting at the table, they have a goal. Doesn’t matter 70 or 80 pounds you are, you do your best on hard training to reach your goal. In addition, it is a great opportunity to understand you in comparison with others. For example there are two athletes with the same weight and the even the same strength. But one has weak wrist – and he loses.

So now this sportsman knows what he has to do on his workouts to show the best results next time.

"A Battle of Titans" was new to me. But I really like to invest and lay out for the benefit of the sport, especially when I see that sportsmen like such events. I want armwrestling to become more popular not only in Odessa and region, but also in Ukraine. In the end, we should organize European Championships!

Do you think there will the A1, which was held a week before "A Battle of Titans", make the level of competition lower?

Generally we expect that we will have about a hundred athletes this time. Already there are applications from Kiev, Kirovograd, Lviv and other cities.

Of course, it’s not good that stars of Ukrainian armwrestling will not be here. Youth follow such sportsmen as Andrey Pushkar, Alexey Semerenko, Evgenii Prudnyk. In addition, we could organize somebody’s master-class. But it will be a note the following competitions.

What do you think, how to make armwrestling popular among ordinary viewers?

From my own experience I would say – it’s very simple. We take a table and carry it to the fountain in the Central Park. In addition, we prepare medals, diplomas. Spectators watch the progress of fights, understand that they can do it too and see that it is awarded. After event we have a number of those who want to visit our workouts.

Anastasia Kisilyova