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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

Ihor HAIDAMAKA: “The referees angered even Fidel Castro”

21 September, 1999 - 00:00

There is an opinion that the three most manly sports in the world are boxing, wrestling, and weightlifting, which require extraordinary strength, skill and character. However, women have already encroached even on this prerogative, for they have put on gloves, come out on the mat, and begun to lift weights! Yet, we are used to associating boxing with strong young men. This was the subject of the conversation between The Day 's correspondents had with vice president of the European Boxing Federation, chief coach of the Ukrainian national team, and Meritorious Worker in Physical Culture Ihor Haidamaka.

“Mr. Haidamaka, Ukrainian boxing has been very highly appreciated recently.”

“We have made others to reckon with us after our wins world and European forums along with major international tournaments. The Americans, Cubans, and British, trying to outdo each other, began to invite our team. This speaks volumes. At the last World Cup in Lviv alone, our athletes won ten first places out of twelve. And in October, Sevastopol will be hosting the Black Sea Cup which will identify six participants in the Sydney Olympics. Will you agree this is a point of honor?

“Victories and image are great. But I am more pleased with something else: unprecedented interest in boxing has revived in Ukraine. Experienced coaches have begun to return to sports schools, and the number of those attending such schools has risen from 20,000 to 30,000 in the past two years.”

“Of course, mass interest in the provinces and indisputable successes on the international arena are good. But you seem laconic about the Ukrainian national team's failure at the latest world championship in Houston. Oleksiy Trofymov's single bronze medal is no great achievement for Ukraine.”

“I knew you would ask this. Paradoxical as it is, this tournament was not intended as competition for Olympic berths, so many teams did not bring their top fighters. For it is common knowledge that a boxer can fully demonstrate his capacity only two or three times a year. And many thought it made no sense to bring fighters into peak shape for a tournament that does not give the green light to the main four year sporting event. This is why we, too, brought the backups of our strongest athletes. Out of leaders, only Volodymyr Sydorenko went. As boxers say, the referees tore his head off.”

“As far as I know, not only his head. And, in general, this championship was rich in scandals.”

“Reporters called it Asia versus the world. The point is that, when president of the World Boxing Federation Anwar Choudhury from Pakistan was being elected, he was strongly supported by the votes of Asian countries, including those of the former USSR. Even the tiniest countries, where there is really no boxing, somehow became AIBA members. Then time came to pay off the debts. What is more, the judges acted so brazenly that the winners they picked tried to slip away to the changing room as soon as possible, and the defeated, on the contrary, were appealing for a long time to the refereeing commission and the audience. For example, one of the French boxers, who was obviously stronger and more skilled tan his Uzbek rival, stayed behind in the ring for about thirty minutes, while the spectators were breaking seats and throwing various objects at the judges. And the Cubans, who were deprived of gold medals due to the bias of the referees (the medals were turned over to them, by the way, after the submission of appeal), walked out of the championship on the second day of the finals. And they slammed the door quite loudly: on the next day after the incident, Fidel Castro delivered a televised speech on this venal tournament.

“And there were so many complaints from various teams about poor lodging, transportation, and food (they were only served macaroni, rice, and bananas). In a word, the championship abounded in scandals. Now all the European countries plan to apply to the IOC for the dismissal of the AIBA president.”

“Did unpleasant things happen to our team as well?”

“It is even shameful to say: one of our boxers failed to turn up for a bout with a Cuban. This is the first outrageous event of this kind in my experience. Quite the contrary, I can recall boxers fighting with cut eyebrows and broken fingers. But to throw in the towel like this?”

“The Houston championship is now history, and all our national team leaders set their eyes, even before it, on the Black Sea Cup.”

“Yes, as I said earlier, this will be a competition for Olympic berths in six first categories. The tournament will be held on October 5-12 in the excellent gymnasium of the Palace of Fishermen. It will host representatives of twenty countries, so the competition will be very tough. The boys are ready for this test. Last year, after a similar tournament, many of them tossed a coin into the sea. So they will return to it. For victories!”

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