Honored Coach of Ukraine Ivan Zinchenko: We’re ready to rush into battle at the World Games

There are only a few days left until the start of the kickboxing tournament at the 2022 World Games. On July 13 and 14, the world’s best kickboxers in the K-1 division will meet in the ring. Among them are five representatives of Ukraine.

These are Daryna Ivanova (52 kg), Alina Martyniuk (60 kg), Orfan Sananzade (63.5 kg), Vitaliy Dubina (75 kg) and Roman Shcherbatiuk (+91 kg).

ЗТУ Іван Зінченко: «Готові хоч зараз ринути в бій на Всесвітніх іграх»

The head of the coaching staff for the preparation for TWG-2022, Honored Coach of Ukraine Ivan Zinchenko told us how our athletes are brought to their peak form:

“In coaching, it is sometimes said that it is better to undertrain than to overtrain. Then the athletes will reveal themselves even more during the competition, they will reach the peak of their form, so to speak.

It is important that they emotionally want to enter the ring and show everything they are capable of. So far we are focused more on coordination work, on speed qualities, on technical and tactical trainings. All this lays down a certain opportunity for the development of the form, which should be fully revealed in the ring.

We currently work with five different personalities. Therefore, one of the main tasks of the coaching staff is to bring each of them to the best possible form. This approach is characteristic for the Ukrainian school of kickboxing.

5 Ukrainian kickboxers started preparations for the World Games 2022

As I said earlier, the training process is designed so that boys and girls do not have excessive psychological stress. We tried to create such conditions as if they were preparing for the competition at home. Because the path of preparation was very long.

If you look at it this way, in the last almost two and a half months, they have reached a six-month period of regular training. During this time, we became a single organism with each of the athletes. I feel them, they understand me. That’s how we prepare together.

Due to the war in Ukraine, it was initially difficult to get them trained. Then it was necessary to bring everyone to the appropriate combat conditions. And then it was necessary to get out of these combat conditions to the peak of form. Today, I see that by all indicators, we succeeded. And what will happen at the World Games – only the Almighty knows.

Everyone is ready for the competition. They are already waiting for them with impatience. We just received the costumes, and the boys and girls are ready to put on their uniforms and rush into battle at the World Games.

In addition, the coaching staff also includes Honored Coaches of Ukraine Yuriy Zubov and Vitaliy Li.

The World Games 2022 take place from July 7 to 17 in Birmingham, Alabama (USA).

Oleksandra Kuznietsova, press-officer of the National Kickboxing Federation of Ukraine WAKO