Typically, it is martial arts disciplines such as judo and jiu-jitsu that students from the Phuket-based gym are more associated and familiar with, certainly at national and international competition level.
However, on the weekend of May 31-June 2, a total of 22 athletes representing the gym entered into the 12th annual edition of the Kurash Wrestling Championship of Thailand in Bangkok.
The team proved their prowess on the mat to secure an impressive 15-medal haul, including seven golds, five silvers and three bronzes, as well as winning the trophy for best national boys team in the Under-11 age classification.
On an individual basis, gold medals were won by students Naylia, Damir, Alexander, Danil, Dima, Sagit and Dojo Phuket lead instructor Alexis Plantard.
Silver medals went to students Timur, Johnathan, Meera, Ashia and Mayel, while Lea, David and Amine all collected bronze. Fellow students Daniil, Mikhail, Marko and Leo all performed admirably but just fell short of the medal places in fifth place.
“Kurash wrestling is very similar to judo in style and technique but with added ground work that many associate with standard wrestling,” Alexis told The Phuket News.
“It proves how versatile and talented the team from the Dojo is in that they can transfer their skillsets honed in disciplines such as jiu-jitsu and judo to become so effective on the wrestling mat.”
Pride in his students is something that has always shone through when talking with Alexis and he was no different after their latest triumph in the capital. Citing individual performances, he praised Naylia for her strong mindset in helping her achieve her first tournament win. “She has made a lot of effort in training in the last six months and this deservedly paid off,” the coach commented.
“Damir is ‘Mr Consistent,’ so strong and always on top of his game, as is Sagit with his Japanese-influenced style, while Alexander hinted at the true talent he has with a fine performance. Danil’s technical skills and precision are exemplary, while Dima finally got to where he deserves to be - on top of the podium.”
While citing individual performances, Frenchman Alexis was very quick to pay tribute to the entire team, confident that with continued application and hard work there will be more medals to come for everyone.
“Their achievements are not by chance but by discipline and hard work,” he explained. “Every single student applies themself in the correct manner and this, ultimately, always pays off.”
‘Determined’
Alexis always leads by example to his students, something he once again did in Bangkok at the Kurash wrestling tournament, claiming gold in the Under-90 kilogram category, while fellow adult student Amine took bronze in the same weight class.
Although he missed out on a medal in the capital, Geoffrey impressed his coach with his work ethic and application. “Geoffrey is 55 years old and this was his first event. It was a great experience for him, something that he will no doubt learn from and improve on in future,” Alexis said.
Prior to the Kurash event in Bangkok, Alexis claimed a silver medal in judo at the World Masters Games in Taiwan on May 23.
Battling it out among 420 athletes, Alexis notably defeated three time world champion Chien-Chung Huang from Taiwan in the quarter-final of the under-90kg weight class before facing Kazakhstan’s Avazbek Korganov in the final. A tough opponent who Alexis faced in the world championship semi-finals in Las Vegas last year, the outcome was ultimately the same this time as the experienced Kazak held out for the win.
“I fought really well and was so close,” said Alexis. “It just makes me more determined to train harder and come back even better next time.”
Alexis fights at the Japan International Judo Championships on Kyushu island in Kagoshima Prefecture today (June 15) before taking the team to the Hong Kong nationals on the weekend of July 12-13 where the medal hunt will no doubt continue.
For more information or to get involved with Dojo Phuket please visit: www.judophuket.com.