The national Kempo team of Moldova has won 41 medals at the World Kempo Championship that was held in Budapest, Hungary, between April 21 and April 27. The team consisted of 17 wrestlers.
Of the 41 medals, eight are gold, 17 are silver, while 16 are bronze. The team’s main coach Roman Babii, who is the president of the National Kempo Federation, in a news conference at IPN, said the Moldovan athletes achieved these results owing to a new training method. The championship included four versions of the division, which enabled him to choose athletes from different age and weight categories.
The championship in Budapest brought together over 500 athletes from 38 states. The team that represented Moldova was selected as a result of a national championship. The wrestlers competed in four versions of the Fighting Kempo division – full, semi, submission, and knockdown.
Roman Babii said the national squad at the 11th World Kempo Championship involved employees of the police. Without the support of Minister of Justice Oleg Efrim, their participation in the training session and the championship would have been impossible.
The national team’s participation in the championship was supported by the partners of the National Kempo Federation – the International Kempo Federation, Moldcell and the international hospital “Medpark”. Moldcell senior corporate communication specialist Constanta Popa told the same news conference that the company supported the athletes the second consecutive year. The mobile phone carrier considers that these sportsmen make the country famous abroad and will thus continue to support them.
Kempo Federation secretary Igor Galca said the Moldovan wrestlers held interest for those who followed the championship in Budapest, while the fights involving the Moldovans didn’t lack spectators.
Wrestler Vladimir Calciu, who won two bronzes, said that though the national squad was a modest one, they gave a good performance. Alexandr Babii, who won two golds and a silver, said that it was the third world championship in which he took part. He added he was glad that such championships involve more and more athletes from whom he can learn new techniques.
Wrestler Ion Mamaliga, who won two silvers and a bronze, said that Moldova, having practically the smallest team, achieved rather good results. His colleague Ilie Mamaliga, with a silver and a bronze, added that he fought with more skilful athletes, but was able to cope and to score victories.
