Today, February 26 the President of the International Military Sports Council (CISM) Abdul-Hakeem Al-Shino assisted the slalom competitions in a ski resort called Rosa Khutor in Sochi. He visited the final stage and medal event of the III Winter Military World Games.
-Did you make new friends here?
-Everyone is my friend now! Sochi became my second home after this event! People are so nice and hospitable. Sochi is one of the sports cities in the world. I am grateful to everyone.
-What impressed you most today?
-First of all, the weather is very pleasant. The spectators are active and so inspired by the Games, they are really interested in. I have been here for the first time and I am pleased to see such a great number of sport amateurs. People are so positive to meet foreign participants and interact with persons from different cultures. Sport unites everyone! Indeed, Sochi is an Olympic city.
-We have a traditional Russian type of sport called sambo. For instance, football is an English type of sport, judo is Japanese, but sambo is Russian. Do you think we have good opportunities to promote sambo at the world scale?
-Sambo is highly popular worldwide. President Putin is an amateur of sambo. We would like that sambo will be included into CISM. It’s a very beautiful and great sport. It’s a unique sport in Russia, which complies with the military requirements. We also hope that sambo will be a part of the competition program.
-What is your opinion about the amateurs of the Military Games? What would you like to tell them?
As I said earlier after the opening ceremony, people and atmosphere were very pleasant and welcoming. Thank you so much for the hospitality and your exceptional qualities! Stay always like you are and the world will always love and pay respect to you.