Bolat SAPAR: “Achilles lock is my signature move”

Kazakhstan athlete Bolat Sapar won a gold medal in the weight category up to 98 kg in Sport SAMBO at the Asia and Oceania Championships in Macau. He shared his emotions and secrets of success with the FIAS website.

In the final, you defeated the experienced and titled Uzbek athlete Nemat Yokubov, and ahead of schedule. How did you do this?

– God helped me, and, of course, the support of my family and the entire Kazakh people.

How was your preparation for the tournament?

– Our entire team prepared diligently for this Asia and Oceania Championships; we held a 15-day training camp, and, fortunately, it bore fruit: today we have several gold medals at once. So the secret to our success is hard training.

Is the painful hold that you performed in the final, and which brought you the title of champion of Asia and Oceania, a home preparation?

– You can say so. The Achilles lock is my signature move.

You gained an advantage in the score at the beginning of the fight, thus forcing your opponent to attack more. Was this your plan?

– Yes, there was such a plan and in fact it worked. I managed to catch Nemat on a counterattack and take his leg for a painful hold.

How difficult were the other bout on the way to the final?

– Quite complicated. The guys were physically very strong.

Who would you single out?

– First of all, an athlete from Tajikistan, with whom we fought to reach the final. It was very difficult with him; he turned out to be physically very strong.

The Kazakhstan national team brought a large squad. Did the support of your teammates help?

– During every bout, I felt the support of our guys. And, of course, the tips from the coaching staff helped a lot.