Today we mark a special date — exactly six months ago the opening ceremony of the 8th Children of Asia Games took place. Therefore we are pleased to present you an interview with Vladimir Maksimov, President of the Children of Asia International Committee.
Vladimir Maksimov is a coach of the highest category. He started his professional career as a children's boxing coach. For six years he was training young athletes in his hometown of Sangar. Later he combined his work as a coach with the management of the sports department in the administration of Kobyaysky District. In 2008, he moved to Yakutsk and started working in the Children of Asia Games Directorate as a specialist in the sports department, and six months later he was appointed head of the Directorate. Since then, the Children of Asia Games have been the main project of his life.
In an interview, the President of the Children of Asia International Committee talks about the past and future of the project, remembers the main things and is sure that children's competitions are often more interesting than adults.
BEGINNING
In 2020 the Head of our Republic Aisen Nikolaev nominated me for the position of the President to the founders of the Children of Asia International Committee. The proposal was supported unanimously. It was a pandemic year which was the height of all restrictive measures. And it was not quite clear how to work in these conditions and where to move. We had contracts being canceled, the Games in Mongolia were canceled and so on. In addition, the Committee had financial difficulties. However, my life principle is: "There are no problems, only temporary difficulties".
After I was elected, I presented a long-term plan, and intensive work began. One of the main decisions was choosing Vladivostok to hold the 7th Games. Preparations to hold these Games in 2022 became a kind of both a checkpoint and a test for our team. That is why we are grateful for the support of Oleg Kozhemyako, the Governor of Primorsky Krai, and the Russian Ministry of Sports. And, of course, the Committee's former president Dmitry Glushko, who actively assisted our work. We finished 2020 with a positive balance sheet, without debts or any liabilities.
Sometimes you look back and think to yourself as if it was ten years ago. So much has happened, so many events, some turning points, and it turns out that it was only the year before. I think it is great. It means you are living, there is constant movement. Moreover, now there is a vision of the Committee's work for 10-15 years ahead.
THE WORLD OF THE FUTURE
I hope that Children of Asia will be a self-sufficient project: in the same format and with the same ideological meaning, with a large number of countries wishing to host the Games. Accordingly, there will be many movements and events around the Games aimed at the development of children's sports and children's associations in general. So far, unfortunately, children's sport has been neglected everywhere. And primarily this applies to the attention of spectators.
Believe me, children's competitions are the most interesting sight! There is more risk, excitement, emotions, the atmosphere of a real struggle for victory! In adults, alas, this is rare as experience and technique are there, and often everything is quite predictable. Children's sport is not shown much on TV, and this already affects the work with investors and sponsors.
However, we hope that the situation will change. Children's content is very much in demand now. Hundreds of millions of views of children's channels on the Internet and those bloggers who work purposefully for a children's audience, because children are the most grateful and sincere viewers.
RECALLING THE MOST MEMORABLE GAMES
The most memorable Games took place in 2012. It was the first Games for which I was responsible as the Head of the Directorate. In addition, it was the first time that the Directorate worked as an independent organizer. One of the main moments and achievements of 2012 was probably the emergence of the volunteer movement in the form that everyone knows today. We managed to break the stereotype that volunteers are just street cleaners. In 2012, we gathered a thousand volunteers. A center for working with volunteers was created, which is still active today. Moreover, in 2016, we already had 5,500 applications for 2,000 places.
In 2019 in Sakhalin, we started sports volunteering literally from scratch. We were asked all the time, "Why do we need so many volunteers?" They doubted that it would not be possible to gather the right number of people. Eventually we did, and everyone was engaged. Their help was appreciated, because even now, as far as I know, Sakhalin volunteers are still in great demand.
In 2012, we held medals ceremonies in Lenin Square for the first time. These ceremonies became a very exciting and memorable moment for both participants and spectators. And now they are always on the program. By the way, medals were also awarded on the central square of Sakhalin; and in Vladivostok in the athletes' village as a summing up of the day. In Kemerovo, ceremonies were held in the central squares of four cities in Kuzbass. I remember in 2012, the Secretary General of the Kuwait Olympic Committee after the awarding said: "I myself almost cried from excitement when our guy was awarded and the anthem of Kuwait sounded. Here he is standing on the pedestal thousands of kilometers away from home, he is receiving applause and the national anthem is playing. It's absolutely great..." (Kuwait's representative won gold in air rifle shooting (editor's note)).
That is why 2012 was a special year for me in many ways. Maybe each of the organizers will remember their own year and their own Games, everyone had something for the first time, and that's right, since without innovation there is no forward movement.
UNIQUENESS
There is no such project as the Children of Asia anywhere. Not only in Asia. Now some sports are being "rejuvenated" and international competitions are allowed even at the age of 16. For example, Asian championships for young judo players began to be held, it seems, from 2010-2012. Before that, future champions, including Olympic champions, gathered here. And for many of them it was their first international trips.
Another important point is the psychological aspect that is behind the Games. And it is often forgotten or not fully understood. Everyone still looks only at the sporting component. How do the Games toughen up the little champions? This is the first experience of a multi-sport event. At the opening ceremony, the children take part in the parade, march under the flag of their country as part of the national team, and the stadium applauds.
Imagine, a young athlete has already arrived, but the competition is only a few days away, and already he or she wants to fight and win. During this period, you can burn out just waiting. For example, a wrestler shares a room with an athlete, who has already had a start. And here it is, his or her medal, on the nightstand. Can you imagine how the first child feels? The coach's behavior is important here as well: how they talk, distract and guide and how the athlete handles it.
Lilya Akhaimova recalled in a conversation that in 2004 she was placed with a taekwondo player who won a gold medal almost on the first day. Lilya was sitting there, touching the medal, and she was so eager to get one! She confessed that she did not experience such emotions at the Olympics as she had at the Children of Asia....
This is the first time children go through this. And many of them suddenly reveal themselves. Children of Asia is the first experience of big international starts, which teaches to deal with emotions, excitement and expectation. It is a huge celebration, and after it one wants to experience similar emotions once again.
There is a big cultural program at the Games, which is very important for us. Our alumni who are already well-known athletes and champions tell us that they remember the Children of Asia because they traveled to the Kingdom of Permafrost and saw the Yakut white nights. We want the kids to see how diverse the world is and how many interesting things there are in it. Not everyone will be a champion, but everyone should find his or her place in this big world and we keep this in mind all the time.
SPORTS ICONS
I have been very interested in history and especially in the history of sports since school. I love reading biographies of athletes, so I know a lot about many of them. Like all the boys of my generation, I know the stars of the hockey team, who today are called legends. By the way, there is a great book called Legends of Yakut Sports and it is a page-turner.
I am impressed by the athletes who participated and won gold medals in 1952 after the Great Patriotic War. These people were on completely different level than most other men. They were veterans, participants of the Great Patriotic War, who went through so much, but remained faithful to sport, trained against all odds and became Olympic champions. There are a lot of such stories...
READY, SET…
I'm a person who never thinks ahead. I try not to speak too soon, as they say, "don't get ahead of yourself." It is important to note that the Games have changed — not only the format, but also the approaches and principles.
The attitude towards Games has become more serious. The level of athletes' training has increased significantly, responsibility in the formation of united teams has got bigger, and competition has intensified. The most important thing is to create spectacular matches, bouts and performances where children will be able to demonstrate all their skills, and the audience will receive positive emotions.
I would like to see children with their parents and grandparents in the stands. We hope that after such events they will be inspired and sign up for sports clubs. "Children of Asia" is a project where future stars are lit and new names appear.
