Arabs buying foreign wrestlers to represent their country

[dsdoubled]

Outside of that if a dude is #2 in Russia and he's still good enough to medal at Worlds more power too him switching countries to compete, it just makes the tournament that much stronger.

Off the top of my head this applies to a few of the greats. Taymazov started his career wrestling for Russia. As did Khetag Gazyumov. In fact, at the Rio Olympics, at 97 kilos, 5 of the wrestlers repping other countries began their career wrestling for Russia. 6 if you count Boltukaev who was actually repping Russia.

 

[ArtemV]

i think only russia and iran use real natives for their teams. its ridic. and should be stopped.

Georgia's team is all-Georgian, they are good too. Armenia too, except a single wrestler. Ukraine are a good all(or mostly) all-Ukrainian team. Azerbaijan's ethnically Azeri wrestlers are the most talented though. Aliyev and Asgarov have been really successful.

I am not against it though, it allows for some not successful in Azerbaijan/Russia etc to move to other countries and get the equal chance to compete internationally.

 

[2arctanx]

I used to get annoyed about it but the political benefits outweigh the “purity” problems. And if people don’t think that wrestling doesn’t need to play politics the way soccer, football and basketball do it’ll not stay relevant

they pay/buy wrestlers its not natural immigration

 

[jack36767]

they pay/buy wrestlers its not natural immigration

So? Furthermore, someone legally entering a country and contributing in one way or another isn’t a problem. And it’s a chance for wrestlers to improve their lot.. I don’t know how much you know about Chechenia, Dagestan, Cuba or North Ossetia but someone wanting to better their situation and again legally enter a place and contribute and improve the wrestling isn’t a bad thing

 

[dsdoubled]

Georgia's team is all-Georgian, they are good too. Armenia too, except a single wrestler. Ukraine are a good all(or mostly) all-Ukrainian team. Azerbaijan's ethnically Azeri wrestlers are the most talented though. Aliyev and Asgarov have been really successful.

I am not against it though, it allows for some not successful in Azerbaijan/Russia etc to move to other countries and get the equal chance to compete internationally.

Im all for wrestlers accepting/seeking out opportunity. To be clear. But you're a little off about Armenia. In the last 2 years at the worlds/Olympics, 3 of their freestylers came from other countries. 2 from Russia, 1 from Georgia. On the Greco side they had another. Im not suggesting Armenia or Georgia doesn't produce top wrestlers on their own, they certainly do, Im just pointing out something you may find interesting.

 

[PolishHeadlock]

they pay/buy wrestlers its not natural immigration

Moving for a job seems like natural immigration to me lol

 

[andrewm2211]

A lot of countries do this, US does it all the time in other sports.
Pretty much every country does with ping pong which is arguably more mainstream.

 

[trustdoesntrust]

Been watching a lot of (real) wrestling on the internet. And something that I noticed is how Qatar and Bahrain have started buying Russian wrestlers to represent them. Whats the point really? Everyone knows they are Russian. they have Russian names and look Russian. Nobody is confusing them with an Arab so whats the freaking point!? Do they think people will think they are a good wrestling nation? Unfortunately there are no rules to prevent this. Azarbaijan is another country that does the exact same thing. 70% of their medal winners for the olympics were not even from Azarbaijan. Its ridiculous.

this seems to be a problem throughout international sports. for example, i saw tons of brazilians playing for random world cup squads. makes sense for the athletes, as you could be blocked on your home national team. another country can give you an opportunity to still compete and grow on a world stage, all while being much treated better

 

[SRN]

Well, considering that basically every other guy from the Caucasus region can be a top wrestler while some countries don't have a single decent native wrestler... you know, it just makes sense. Another thing to consider is that places where the talent pool is really deep like it's in Russia even talented guys are sometimes "left behind" and don't have a lot of space and opportunities. Importing athletes is like giving them a chance to shine imo and I can't be mad with that.

 

[efficientjudo]

because when i see a Bahraini wresler compete i want them to BE from Bahrain. This is international compeition its not a mercenary club league.

I really don't get why it matters, when the sport is 1 vs 1, I don't see how nation / nationality comes into it at all.

 

[2arctanx]

i have no problem with wrestlers moving to another nation to compete. my problem is not with the wrestlers. but nations funding them, ur not fooling anyone, nobody believes bahrain for instance has super athletes.

I really don't get why it matters, when the sport is 1 vs 1, I don't see how nation / nationality comes into it at all.

there is prestige in wrestling, if you were from the region you would get it.

 

[efficientjudo]

i have no problem with wrestlers moving to another nation to compete. my problem is not with the wrestlers. but nations funding them, ur not fooling anyone, nobody believes bahrain for instance has super athletes.

there is prestige in wrestling, if you were from the region you would get it.

Bahrain has a population of 1.4 million people, or put another way, its 150th out of 195 countries in the world in terms of population size, the city of Moscow has 12 million people - so Bahrain doesn't really have the selection pool. Success on a world stage can be an important part of developing a sport within the country, promotes awareness etc. You can think of buying talent as laying the groundwork for future development of the sport within region.

I am from a country, I've seen athletes from my country do well in individual sports, maybe I'm just not a nationalistic and so just don't get it.

 

[2arctanx]

Bahrain has a population of 1.4 million people, or put another way, its 150th out of 195 countries in the world in terms of population size, the city of Moscow has 12 million people - so Bahrain doesn't really have the selection pool. Success on a world stage can be an important part of developing a sport within the country, promotes awareness etc. You can think of buying talent as laying the groundwork for future development of the sport within region.

I am from a country, I've seen athletes from my country do well in individual sports, maybe I'm just not a nationalistic and so just don't get it.

so they should buy all their athletes why.......???

 

[jack36767]

so they should buy all their athletes why.......???

If you really can’t grasp it and are stuck in a 1920s attitude idk what to tell you

 

[2arctanx]

If you really can’t grasp it and are stuck in a 1920s attitude idk what to tell you

grasp what? that stupid little nations with money want to stay relative in a sport they have no business being involved in? wrestling has a looong historical past in Persia and greater Iran nations. They want to compete thats fine get their own citzens to compete (LOL obviously they can't) but going around buying a bunch of Russians that are not even arabs dont even speak arabic and don't even live or train there to represent their country is freaking Foxcatcher level of patheticness and if you can't recognize that there's no point in continuing this conversation.

 

[efficientjudo]

so they should buy all their athletes why.......???

Because it can lay the foundation for the development of the sport within the country. Provide role models to young Bahrainians etc. Look at the rise of Judo in Greece following Ilias Iliadis (Georgian born, represented Greece) gold medal Olympic win.

 

[2arctanx]

Because it can lay the foundation for the development of the sport within the country. Provide role models to young Bahrainians etc. Look at the rise of Judo in Greece following Ilias Iliadis (Georgian born, represented Greece) gold medal Olympic win.

and how does that work when they dont even live there?

 

[efficientjudo]

and how does that work when they dont even live there?

They don't have to live there. travel, compete, medal, visit Bahrain, coach a little etc. etc.

 

[2arctanx]

They don't have to live there. travel, compete, medal, visit Bahrain, coach a little etc. etc.

they can do that by hiring foreign coaches. thats what south america has done. the purpose of buying athletes is not to create domestic athletes its about propaganda and staying relevant on the world stage. its sad u guys are not getting it.

 

[efficientjudo]

they can do that by hiring foreign coaches. thats what south america has done. the purpose of buying athletes is not to create domestic athletes its about propaganda and staying relevant on the world stage. its sad u guys are not getting it.

Coaches don't provide the same role models as medal winning athletes. The propaganda you speak of is exactly what will help develop the sport in the country. I also don't see a problem with a country wanting to be relevant on the world stage as long as they don't go around breaking international law.

I think both you and I both largely agree on what is happening, the difference is that you view it as a bad thing, and I don't see a problem with it.