The Inaugural season of Pro Panja League is underway in India and Kiraak Hyderabad, one of the six franchises in the fray has been one of the teams, dominating the score charts. Deccan Chronicle caught up with the man behind the electric performance of the Hyderabadi team-- Vladimir Ustinov – Head Coach, Kiraak Hyderabad.
Vladimir Ustinov hails from Kazakhstan which can be called as the Mecca of Arm Wrestling, given the number of world champions the country has produced. Vladimir himself is an accomplished arm wrestler, whose prowess and the dominance of the game has seen him win five Asian Arm Wrestling Championship titles and two World Arm Wrestling Championship titles for Kazhakstan. He has been a one time Golden Arm Champion as well. With such an impressive array of titles and experience under his belt, Kiraak Hyderabad could not have asked for a coach with a better track record! Excerpts from the exclusive interview with Kiraak Hyderabad Coach.
Arm wrestling is one of the oldest games in the world. Yet, it hasn’t received the kind of prominence that it deserves. What are your thoughts on this lack of visibility and prominence?
Arm wrestling is a great physical sport, as it’s not just about the sheer strength of the hand but involves the overall fitness and strength of the whole body, and the current status of the game is that it is ready for inclusion in the Olympics. To be a part of the Olympics, a game needs to be more popular and needs to have good visibility and appeal amongst the audience. That is exactly the main priority now for us, to ensure that the game gets its due status and the limelight it needs.
Do you think the Pro Panja League will give arm wrestling the much-needed push?
I believe that Pro Panja League, which is happening here is a great opportunity for all the arm wrestlers to inspire people across the country to go for arm wrestling and make it the most popular sport in India. The way the Pro Panja League is organized is very good and one of its kind sporting event I’ve ever witnessed. It’s definitely going to be the biggest hit of all the arm wrestling leagues that ever happened.
The best part about this sport is that everyone from kids to adults are familiar with it. What about its popularity as a professional sport?
This sport is a part of everyone’s childhood. And hence, everyone will relate to the sport very much. This widespread familiarity is what will make the sport popular in India.
All said and done Panja is not a niche sport, it's a simple sport with easy rules to understand and hence, it can be categorised as a mass sport. But with the sport being showcased on a different level altogether, will the perception now change?
Yes. This league is going to change the perceptions of the people regarding arm wrestling. Because, the Pro Panja League is not a small one, it’s really a big league. They have brought people from across the country and divided them into six different teams. They have also invited coaches from Kazakhstan, which can be termed as the Mecca of arm wrestling. Indians are seen as one of the strongest people, but they don’t know enough arm wrestling techniques and they don’t have enough resources to learn these techniques as it’s not yet a popular game in India. But once it becomes popular, then India will give strong competition to all the other countries in this sport.
What's the craze like during a match. How do fans react when somebody is losing or winning? Is the excitement and euphoria same as in any other sport?
The response from the audience is unexpected. Their response is so overwhelming that it seems like the Indian players are playing in an international match and have reached the finale. Such reactions from the audience are really great and encouraging.
What’s the role of a coach in arm wrestling?
According to me, a coach is like father to the player. If it’s a trainer he would teach the techniques and tricks to the player but if it’s a coach, he can go to any extent and push the player to achieve more and more. Coach is the only one who knows the strength and weakness of a player. They just don't train them in the game but teach them to be disciplined.
What kind of techniques are important in this sport?
Techniques like top roll, smart wrist movement and king’s move are there in the sport. All the techniques are important for a player. One player should know all these techniques and tricks to pin down his opponent.
Tell us about the fitness required to play this sport ?
In arm wrestling, we need muscle strength and strong joints. The more the techniques we know, the better we become. Having good power is not the only important part.
How long does a career in arm wrestling last?
Arm wrestling doesn’t have any age limit. There are several American arm wrestlers who are above 50 years of age and still competing. The age limit starts from under-16, and you can play the game till the time your body allows you to.
You are an arm wrestler yourself. Tell us about your story. What inspired you to take up this sport and how did you train to become a professional?
In school, there was a time I was active in kickboxing but then I was injured. Then I was told to rest and not play any physical games. It happened during my 11th standard. As a child, I used to win whenever I played arm wrestling. I am a very competitive person and love to compete everywhere. And when I went to the university, I got acquainted with people who were into arm wrestling. I started developing an interest in it and they told me that there is a special table and a special gym where I can go and participate. Then I went there and met an experienced trainer. The coach then arranged some matches and I won all of them. This was in 2011. After this, the coach encouraged me to attend training every day. Then I started my journey in arm wrestling and after one year of training, I won the Asian Championship.
How big is arm wrestling in Kazakhstan?
In Kazakhstan, arm wrestling is really a big game and people are crazy about it. The people/team from Kazakhstan stand first in the sport. If there is a national championship or tournament in Kazakhstan, it is very hard to compete there because every participant there is already a world champion.
How did your assignment with Kiraak Hyderabad happen?
I was in Dubai for the international championship with my team. My team was already the world champions and then we won the Asian championship. After seeing that, some people from India got interested and approached me saying there is a league being planned in India, and asked if I would like to be a part of it as the team’s coach and I agreed!
How helpful are wrestling clubs in training aspiring professionals?
There are many clubs in Kazakhstan as it is a very popular game there. Basically, in Kazakhstan, they start training at a very young age. Even if the opponent is a world champion and you are a fresher, it doesn’t matter. You have to be confident. That is what they teach in our clubs. In our country, the sports ministry also encourages enthusiasts. They provide scholarships for the world champions. Many people don’t like to depend on their parents, so they try to excel in sports to avail such facilities from the government.
