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Attacked Russian athlete competing for Albania, Mamiashvili incident causes unrest in Russia too! Former coach and MPs react

2025-04-11 19:05:18Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Attacked Russian athlete competing for Albania, Mamiashvili incident causes
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) official Mikhail Mamiashvili

The ugly gesture of the head of the Russian Wrestling Federation towards the Russian athlete competing for Albania has sparked strong reactions even in Russia.

Chermen Valiev, a wrestler born in the Russian republic of North Ossetia, had previously competed for Russia but changed his sporting nationality to Albania just before the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) official Mikhail Mamiashvili, who heads the national wrestling federation, clashed with Valiev at the European freestyle wrestling championship in Bratislava, where Valiev defeated a Russian athlete in the final.

Video of the incident shows Mamiashvili aggressively placing the gold medal around Valiev's neck during the awards ceremony and saying something that clearly upset the athlete.

Mamiashvili, himself an Olympic wrestling champion, then grabs Valiev roughly by both hands, and the athlete frowns. He then places the champion's bouquet in Valiev's hands and walks away.

“[Mamiashvili] called Valiev a traitor, accompanying his words with dirty words,” reported the Wrestling Russia Telegram channel, the first media outlet to cover the incident in Russia.

Valiev later confirmed this, saying he was "surprised."

Russia has been banned from the 2022 Olympics and other major international sporting events over its invasion of Ukraine.

And although the Kremlin announced plans to launch the World Friendship Games, an alternative to the Olympics, the project was delayed and eventually suspended.

President Vladimir Putin, who knows Mamiashvili well and personally decorated him with the Order of Merit for the Fatherland in the Kremlin last year, has repeatedly criticized international sports authorities for what he says is politicizing sport.

“[Valiev] was in our national team just a year ago. The national team trained him. But today he is under the Albanian flag with tears in his eyes. Maybe that embarrassed him? People like Chermeni don’t care – what flag? Today he is Albanian, tomorrow he will be Bulgarian,” Mamiashvili said.

"These are young guys who, unfortunately, do not fully understand the value of the flag on their shoulders. They do not understand the responsibility to the country that created them and gave them opportunities. Yes, sometimes in difficult conditions, but still, great Russia made them athletes," said Mamiashvili.

However, the official's behavior sparked outrage from former Russian national team coach Dzambolat Tedeev, who said the ROC Executive Committee member's behavior "goes beyond all bounds."

“The incident not only embarrasses the head of the federation personally, it damages the reputation of all of Russia, as it is being broadcast live throughout Europe,” said the former coach of the Russian team. “How can someone not think about this and undermine the image of the country on the international stage? Maybe this is what betrayal looks like?”

Deputies from the Valiev region of North Ossetia called the incident "shameless" and "unfair" and demanded that the Russian sports ministry conduct an investigation and that Mamiashvili apologize.

"At the very least, we expect an apology from Chermen Valiev and from all fans of freestyle wrestling, and in particular, from the Ossetian people," said Ossetian MP Soslan Bestaev.


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