The Dagestan wrestler-freestyler Zaur Efendiyev playing for Serbia gave interview wrestdag.ru.

— First of all, it would be desirable to learn more about you: at whom you train what results were at you, whether you have the relation to Efendiyev's known wrestling dynasty?

— Yes, I from this dynasty, my father Osman Efendiyev was the champion of the USSR and the silver prize-winner of the World Cup. I am 22 years old, some time I trained at gamidovsky school at Anwar Magomedgadzhiyev, but started being engaged in wrestlingand now I train in ShVSM under the leadership of Abdulaziz Azizov. As for results, I was the prize-winner of youth superiority of Russia and the World Cup among students.

— There were no problems with obtaining permission to represent Serbia?

— I quickly received striking off from Federation of wrestlingof Russia, and here the Serbian passport to me handed over a day before weighing in the  championship of Europe in Tbilisi. If Serbia was the member of the European Union, it should wait for obtaining nationality five years.

— Two years while your issue was resolved, you anywhere didn't act?

— No, only trained in the ShVSM hall, and also I went on collecting to Kislovodsk, Adler and on the Belarusian sports base in Flocks.

— Now also you train in Makhachkala?

— Yes, it is absolutely optional to me to happen in Serbia. I only have to represent this country at competitions. With trainers of the Serbian national team we make a calendar of my performances for a season, and we meet them only already directly at competitions.

— And you should have proved the right to support the national team of Serbia?

— There in my category to 74 kg I have no competitors. Only one time I participated in the championship of Serbia, carried out five fights and without effort all won. Serbians have good wrestlers in the Greco-Roman style, and with wrestlers at them a problem. For example, on the  championship of Europe they exposed only me, having considered that other wrestlers aren't ready to wrestlingat such level.

— In the  championship of Europe in Tbilisi you took the fifth place. How trainers of the national team of Serbia estimated your debut for this country?

— They were very happy, I at all didn't expect such reaction. In Tbilisi I won against the Italian and against the Armenian playing for the Czech Republic, and even in two fights conceded — to strong Hungarian Gabor Hatosh and the Georgian wrestler of the national team of Ukraine Giye Chikhladze.

— What measures of material encouragement are provided at Serbians for a medal of the  championship of Europe?

— I know only that for a bronze medal at these competitions they put a monthly grant in 700 euros. And, unlike many other countries where the grant is appointed to a certain term, in Serbia it pay for life.

— Whether Serbians want to follow the lead of Azerbaijanians and Belarusians who strengthen the national teams mainly at the expense of the Dagestan wrestlers?

— It seemed to me that Serbians have such interest but while they want to look narrowly at me and if are happy with me, that, probably, will invite still someone.

— What plans for this year?

— The next start — aliyevsky tournament, then I will make a speech at the Mediterranean games in Turkey, tournament in Italy, University games in Kazan and the World Cup in Hungary.

Timur RASULOV

http://wrestdag.ru/