The South Ural earth became a shelter for many talented judoists. Owing to the various reasons they didn't manage to achieve good results on the homeland. But in Chelyabinsk they blossomed, having entered the names in history. Victor Betanov was one of them. The native of Belarus, he arrived to Chelyabinsk in 1971. After a while it was fixed in USSR national team structure, and in 1974 became the first South Ural world champion among juniors.

The phenomenon of successful performance of the South Ural judoists during the Soviet era lies on a surface. Here successfully the patriarch of domestic judo Haris Munasipovich Yusupov worked. The talented trainer and the teacher, the wise teacher and the remarkable person, it managed to create round himself group of adherents, to infect talented children with the general idea, was able to open as nobody else their potential. Here and Victor Betanov who is quite good in general the wrestler, yet not up to the end created, having graduated from school, I arrived to Chelyabinsk where took place as the athlete. Exactly here its big way to big judo began.

- Victor Alaverdiyevich, a lot of "the Yusupov school of judo" should hear about so-called. And than it differs from others and in what its main features?

- First of all that it was based by Haris Munasipovich Yusupov. He created this school, in fact, from scratch. But so competently I built system of preparation of athletes that this system works and bears fruit to this day. Yusupov – very strong psychologist and the teacher.

In the Soviet Union in the 60-70th years the set of known and successful schools on judo – Maikop, Lipetsk, Kursk, Volgograd, Krasnoyarsk was created... But where they now? And the Yusupov school lives. It took root. Why? I think, business all that initially in it the relations in collective were correctly constructed, all worked in one direction, set tasks and successfully them solved. For all Haris Yusupov was indisputable authority. And if in other cities there could be any undercurrents, race for power and internal wars, in Chelyabinsk such couldn't be in principle. Haris Mikhaylovich built the accurate and correct relations constructed on trust to each other, mutual respect. Also I developed the system which was successfully existing many years.

Its undertaking was continued by the following generations, among them, for example, Alexander Miller. In many respects thanks to it the Chelyabinsk judoists kept and even increased achievements of the predecessors.

- The father Yu was the strict head?

- No, it never was strict. On the contrary, good-natured and warm-hearted person. He very seldom raised the voice, practically didn't apply strict measures to the guilty. Its relations with pupils were constructed on mutual respect.

- It was necessary to anger very strongly, probably, it to cause on itself criticism fire?

- If it is honest, I can't remember at all that he raised the voice. Abusive words especially in its lexicon weren't and couldn't be. Haris Mikhaylovich simply paternally treated all. And communicated not only with the pupils, but also their wives, parents. To it it was important that we successfully had a life not only on a tatami, but also in life.

- And how you appeared in Chelyabinsk?

- Oh, it is the whole history. I lived in Vladikavkaz, was engaged at local school of judo. I won national championship on juniors which took place in Tuapse. Anatoly Rakhlin paid attention to me, invited to St. Petersburg. And I somehow became friends with the Chelyabinsk children – Valera Fedorov, a kingdom to him heavenly, Krutikov, Kopotilov, Volodya Ishmuratov. Haris Mikhaylovich Yusupov, knowing it, I began to agitate through the children me to move to Chelyabinsk. Well, I think where me to move? St. Petersburg – good prospects, the beautiful city, but I there know nobody. As a result I made the choice for Chelyabinsk. About judo school I had already heard a lot and with children local it wasn't necessary to find a common language.

- That is you arrived to South Ural already taken place athlete?

- I arrived to Chelyabinsk in the rank of the champion of RSFSR on young men, became the prize-winner of the Union twice. But it is necessary to understand that youthful and adult judo is two different things. To me former those 16 years, even the master of sports weren't – the "green" fellow. I consider what exactly in Chelyabinsk my sports way to big judo began.

- And how parents apprehended desire at so early age to leave so far from the house?

- I have a military father, and there not to get used to change the duty station. Mother treated with understanding to my decision also. Besides, they saw that to me there it will be better. I arrived in ChGIFK (nowadays URALGUFK. – Comment of the author), I have an opportunity to train in group with strong children, so, both to study at them and grow in skill. Two years later I received also the one-room apartment in Leninsky district for the victory in the European championship among juniors in 1973.

And in 1975 married, successfully I made a speech at the adult World Cup – to me presented the three-room apartment. I supported "Dynamo", but called and in CSKA, invited to play for other cities, offered apartments, good conditions for trainings. But I remained, and at all about it I am not sorry.

- Verichev, Stepkin, Makarov, Pipy, Morozov, Isayev... All these judoists who have arrived to Chelyabinsk from other cities. Why, in your opinion, they managed to realize themselves in South Ural, instead of at themselves?

- Notice, these are all children who came here master foreign affairs specialists. The same Makarov, for example, already was world champion among juniors. Why? Because here the soil fertile, and a copper good cooks. There is a good team of judoists, they grow in the competitive environment, study each other, and the best become champions.

- He wasn't lucky in sports a little, could become a star of world level in general?

- Yes, it is exact! Especially not beautifully it turned out with the Olympic Games in Montreal. Because of political intrigues it in team didn't take though it was the best in the weight. Andreev was the head coach of the national team then. We called him "the Caucasian captive" because it pulled in team of athletes from Georgia. So, from giving of the instructor of the Georgian judoists I included in young Oleg Zurabiani's Olympic structure. Though Ivshin repeatedly won against it, including on the preolympic estimations.

- You won the first USSR championship in 1977. And a year later in heavy weight the victory was celebrated already by Grigory Verichev. Arrival to Chelyabinsk this judoist prevented you to be approved as the leader of national team?

- No, here other case. I already, in fact, finished the career, and Grisha began. But some time we really fought in sparrings. The guy grew, I helped him, than could. And then there was an USSR championship where the lot brought together us in the first duel. And I just in case for it left one reception, on trainings and sparrings didn't begin to show all cards. I don't know how, but Grigory in my trap didn't get. He then became a champion, and I won a bronze medal. Haris Yusupov with happiness became crazy – two of his pupils became prize-winners of the Union in heavy weight.

- And you already then saw, what from Verichev the strong judoist can turn out?

- Yes, inclinations were visible at once. Good guy. But I consider that he also was fine lucky. In my time there was very strong group of heavyweights. And when Verichev there came, their career went on recession – someone finished career, someone was traumatized. That is the place which Grisha and took was released. It got chance to become the first number of the national team, it and skillfully used it, then developed success and for many years became the leader of team in heavy weight.

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FILE

Victor Alaverdiyevich Betanov

Date of birth: 01.08.1954.

Birthplace: Grodno (Belarus).

Rank: the master of sports of the USSR of the international class on judo.

Achievements: the champion of Europe among juniors (1972, Brussels). The world champion among juniors (1974, Rio de Janeiro). Bronze prize-winner of the World Cup (1975, Vienna). Winner of the World festival of youth and students (1973, Berlin). Champion of the USSR (1977, Baku), silver (1976, Moscow) and bronze (1978, Lipetsk) prize-winner of the championships of the USSR. Winner of many international tournaments.

Vitaly Vizaulin,

photo from Victor Betanov's personal archive