The Russian Federation of short track decided to make up for our long-term lag behind the world elite in an original way. Now fight for the medals of the largest competitions, including the Vancouver Olympics 2010, for us will be ... Chinese skaters. In this country there are enough cool skaters who, due to high competition, do not fall into the national team: they will be given Russian citizenship and included in our team. True, recently the ambitious project to unite the two peoples in a single team has stalled somewhat - this solution to the problem did not suit everyone.
Behind the revolutionary changes is the vice president of the Short Track Federation of Russia (FSTR) Andrei Mintsev. His first step in a new direction was the invitation to the position of head coach of the Chinese team, An Yulong. Two-time world champion and Olympic medalist in 2002, most recently working with the junior national team of his country, was selected from six candidates proposed by the Chinese side. On Wednesday, An Yulong flew to Moscow to meet with his new wards at a base in Novogorsk. The idea with the invitation of the “Varangian” was not liked by the team. “The Chinese haven’t really done anything yet, and they immediately paid him a salary of 3.5 thousand dollars a month, allocated an apartment and a car,” one of the Russian experts shared with a Izvestia correspondent. - And our coaches are paid 20 thousand rubles. And even then it’s not for everyone, but for the elect - those who have pupils in the team ... ”
The nationality of the new mentor caused a lot of controversy. “The survival system reigns in Chinese sports: out of 100 young athletes, they reach 10-15 at best,” another source told Izvestia. - The rest do not withstand the highest loads and break. If Yulong works like that in Russia, he will starve out the whole reserve for us, scorched earth will remain. Not to mention the fact that the Chinese in their mentality are very different from the Russian guys. They are efficient and executive, not just ours - they need to discuss any instructions from the coach. ”
Apparently, so that there would be no problems with discipline, Mintsev decided to go even further - along with the Chinese coach, to take in the team also Chinese athletes. “We have been looking for a way out how to strengthen the team,” he explained his motives. - In the end, it was decided to ask for help from the Chinese Federation, which dictates fashion in our sport. We agreed that the Chinese would give the green light to the transition of their sixth, seventh and eighth numbers. It’s all the same difficult for them to break into the main team, and they will help us. The issue of changing the citizenship of Chinese walkers is currently under discussion. ”
The idea of inviting Asian legionnaires was also discussed at the reporting and re-election conference of the Russian Short Track Federation last week. However, the know-how did not meet with understanding on the part of the old-new president of the FSTTR, Senator Gennady Burbulis. “He stated that he did not object to the invitation of the Chinese coach,” a source at the conference told us. - I agreed with the joint training of Chinese skaters and ours. But he categorically opposed their naturalization. He said that we have enough of our talents. After that, the conversation about foreigners turned itself off. ”
Nevertheless, according to Izvestia, the idea of inviting the Chinese legionnaires was not completely abandoned. While the Asians will come to Russia every month for several days and live at the base with our guys. Train, look closely, learn the language. You see, in a year they’ll get used to it and become their own ... Especially since the procedure for changing citizenship and transferring from one jurisdiction to another, although laborious and lengthy, is quite feasible. In the end, foreigners from other sports have already received Russian passports (see boxing), and nothing. And in the world this is a fairly common practice.
They too were once foreigners
John Robert Holden , Basketball (USA). He has been playing for CSKA since 2002 and is considered the best point guard in the last championships of the country. Three years ago he received Russian citizenship, made his debut at the 2005 European Championship as part of the Russian national team.
Jerry-Christian Tchuis , Football (Cameroon). The former Spartak Moscow defender received a Russian passport in 2000 when the team was led by Spartak coach Oleg Romantsev. However, the African was not useful and in the qualifying round of the 2002 World Cup, he played for the Cameroon team.
Evgeny Nabokov , hockey (Kazakhstan). The goalkeeper for a long time sought the right to play for the Russian team, the saga with a change of citizenship lasted for several years. As a result, Nabokov failed to play for our team at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, but at the 2006 Games in Turin he helped the Russians beat the Canadians and reach the semifinals.
Ilya Tsymbalar, Sergey Juran, Yuri Nikiforov , football (Ukraine). They received Russian passports after the collapse of the Soviet Union. As part of the Russian national team, all three made their debut in the qualifying round of the 1994 World Cup.
Who else should invite
Version of Izvestia
In the pole vault - a runaway prisoner Philip Jones, who overcame the six-meter wall of one of the prisons in South Wales using rake cuttings connected to each other.
In the rowing slalom, there are members of the West African tribe with mats developing hunting speed on a kayak up to 20 kilometers per hour.
In diving - the teenagers of the Mexican city of Acapulco, who every morning, praying to the patroness of Mexico - the Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, jump for fun for the sake of a 35-meter rock into a narrow crevice.
In discus throwing - Australian Aborigines using boomerang as a means of obtaining food.