The Arnold South America continental tournament in Sao Paulo brought together mas-wrestlers from six countries of the world

This is the second international mas-wrestling tournament within the Arnold Sport Festival this year. Recall that the first one was held on March 3-6 according to the approved IMWF Calendar Plan in Columbus, USA, and gathered mas-wrestlers from Benin, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and several American states. Initially, it was announced as a qualifier for participation in the World Mas-Wrestling Championship in Yakutsk. But certain events, unfortunately, will not allow some to share with us the joy of meeting on the Yakut platform and communicating in the homeland of mas-wrestling this summer.

But today we intend to tell about those who can. South America will be represented at the World Championship by mas-wrestlers from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Chile. We will save more detailed information about these participants of the upcoming championship closer to the date. And now let's move on to a specific event in Sao Paulo.

Mas-wrestlers from six countries of the world arrived to participate in the open-format continental level competitions: Argentina, Brazil, Pakistan, Togo, Uruguay and Chile. At the same time, participants from Brazil itself were from the states of Amazonas, Bahia, Curitiba, Minas Girais, Paraná, Rio Grande de Sul, Roraima, São Paulo, Santa Catarina and Espiriti Santo.

The main "players" are well known to the reader. This is the winner of the mas–wrestling World Championship 2018, Ricardo Gevart North from Floriannapolis, winner of international tournaments, presenter of mas-wrestling at the World Festival of Youth and Students in Sochi in 2017 Tiago Fernando dos Santos from Eldorado do Sul, winner of international tournaments, strongman Eduardo Visciglia from Argentina, president of the Mas-Wrestling Federation Chile, the world's top mas-wrestler Manuel Luis Angulo Jaime from Santiago, participant of the mas-wrestling World Cup stages, winner of many tournaments in Brazil Evandro Pomina and his friend, long-time mas-wrestling fan Clayton Rolin. It was gratifying to see a lot of newcomers. There are clearly promising ones among them. Rodrigo Osorio de Lima for example. By the way, he joined the Brazilian mas-wrestling sports team and will take part in the World Championship in Yakutsk in the weight up to 60 kg.

The atmosphere of the competition was quite emotional in accordance with the southern temperament of the participants. Among them, one of the triumphants of the men's competition, mas-wrestler from Africa Ikujor Abdulhaki Olegnin, born in 1987, distinguished himself by his restraint. He comes from the capital of Togo – the city of Lome.

Perfectly built, physically strong, with a height of 190 cm, with a real weight of 111 kg on the Brazilian platform, he performed in the weight category up to 125 kg. Despite the fact that he was opposed by a very strong opponent from the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, Jetulio Stadnik, 37 years old, a student of Ricardo North himself, a sergeant of the special operations platoon of the military police, the national champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu from San Jose, the Togolese managed to first even the score, and then snatch the coveted victory.

"I won my first medal in 2015 in powerlifting," Abdulhaki tells about himself, "Then in the same year I took 3rd place in the heavyweight division in "Strongman is the strongest man of Togo", and in 2017 I became the winner, becoming the strongest in the country. In 2018, I became the best in West Africa. The following year I participated in competitions in Saudi Arabia, wh ere I took first place.

I heard about mas-wrestling in 2016 at home fr om Mr. Dermane Allassane, President of the Mas Wrestling Association of Togo. In 2017, he organized the official mas-wrestling competitions in which I participated. In 2018, I became the national champion."

Giants Ricardo North from Brazil and Chilean Manuel Angulu met in the heavyweight category. The battle of the giants ended in favor of the former. It is not surprising, because he knew no equal in Columbus at a similar tournament and became the winner of the Arnold North America heavyweight belt, and then repeated his success in Sao Paulo in 2019, when he was applauded by Arnold Schwarzenegger himself.

They say that it is worth seeing once than hearing a hundred times. That is why the organizers are preparing a video report, which you will be able to see in the near future on the website of the International Mas-Wrestling Federation.

List of winners and prize- winners:

Men

60 kg

1 - Rodrigo Osório de Lima

2 - Carlos da Silva

3 - Antonio Farioli

65 kg

1 - Roberto Ribeiro

2 - João Silveira

3 - Robson da Rosa

70 kg

1 - Cleiton Rolin

2 - Alberto Franco

3 - Mateus Spier

75 kg

1 - Adriano Acosta

2 - Maroon Rafi

3 - Marcos Pacheco

80 kg

1 - Muhamad Hanzala

2 - Faizan Rafi

3 - Valmor Chagas

90 kg

1 - Evandro Pomina

2 - Gabriel Dagostino

3 - Henrique Martins

105 kg

1 - Pablo Viana

2 - Muhammad Mohsin

3 - José Freitas

125 kg

1 - Ikoudjor Abdulhaki Olegnin

2 - Getúlio Stadinick Neto

3 - Tiago Santos

125+ kg

1 - Ricardo Nort

2 - Manuel Angulo

3 - Bruno Pereira

Women

55 kg

1 - Karen Cristine

2 - Flavia Oliveira

3 - Maria dos Santos

65 kg

1 - Gil Cunha

2 - Karina da Silva

3 - Francesca da Luz

75 kg

1 - Luciane Cristina

2 - Valesca Sousa

3 - Rosa Farias

85 kg

1 - Michele Pedroso

2 - Marta dos Passos

3 - Lurdes Farias

85+ kg

1 - Rafaela Vieira Piona

2 - Raquel Ventura

3 - Débora Batista

South America is a promising territory for the development of mas-wrestling. Welcoming, friendly population, tolerant sports community, ready to accept new skills and knowledge. With the effort invested, you can get a good harvest. There are many mas-wrestling tournaments held here among different segments of the population: schoolchildren, college and university students, military personnel and police officers. Vilmar Oliveira also promotes adaptive mas-wrestling. Methodological and practical help is needed.

In mid-December, at the height of summer, a continental mas-wrestling championship is planned to be held in Santiago, the capital of Chile, wh ere athletes from all over South America intend to come. This was told by the president of the Chilean organization of strongmen and mas-wrestling Manuel Luis Angulo Jaime. And, of course, he is ready to accept the leadership of the national mas-wrestling federations headed by the IMWF Presidium. And it would be nice to make a high-quality film about the formation of mas-wrestling on this beautiful green continent. I am sure our reader deserves such attention.

On behalf of the leadership of the International Mas-Wrestling Federation, a member of the Presidium from Pakistan, Nawab Furqan Khan, presented memorable prizes from Yakutia to all the organizers and guests of honor as a sign of gratitude for the well-organized tournament.

Welcome to Yakutia to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the formation of the republic and the national holiday Ysyakh!

Lena Tomskaya, Sao Paulo, Brazil.