By YASIN TUNCER
zaman.com
The world watched him with admiration during the 2004 Atlanta Olympic Games. Ibrahim Karam, who almost made fun of his opponents on the mat, reached his peak in world wrestling by winning the Olympic championship.
Karam, who won the first gold medal for Egypt ever since the 1948 London Olympics, is a 25-year-old wrestler, who is champing at the bit. We interviewed this champion wrestler in a friendly atmosphere in Istanbul.
When did you start wrestling? Is there anyone in your family who was involved in this sport before you?
My father used to wrestle, but he wasn’t a professional. Besides, my elder brothers were also wrestlers. I have always loved wrestling since I was a child. I used to wrestle with my friends in the streets. That was my biggest fun. I have been wrestling since I was seven. There was no chap I could not pin. In those days, my first trainer Mahmoud Vusahi, had said that I was going to become a great wrestler.
Who trained you for the championship?
Adil, my elder brother who now lives in New York. The person who brought me to this day, who prepared me for the Olympics, is my mentor, Adil. I learned all the tricks in wrestling from him.
Before your victory, Egypt had won its last wrestling medal 44 years ago in Rome. And after such a long period of time you won a gold. Why did it take so long?
We do really have very talented youths in Egypt. The reason for the delay in winning a medal was that wrestling was neglected. For years in Egypt, incompetent officials were at the top in wrestling management. It was hard to find someone who understood the sport, even in government offices. But now our managers have put things in order.
How long do you intend to keep on wrestling?
I want to continue until the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. After that, I will quit this sport.
Is it not that somewhat premature? What do you plan to do after quitting wrestling?
This much of wrestling is enough for me. I want to take up K-1, which is a martial art. K-1 originated in Japan and is a more advanced form of kick boxing. Everything is allowed in this sport. You are allowed to kick, slap and punch. The match ends after your opponent submits. For me, it is a very exciting sport. I am attending courses in Japan for that.
After wrestling, I now find K-1 more interesting…
I have not been able to earn much from wrestling. But you can make an incredible amount of money in K-1. Millions of dollars being offered for each match. Besides, I find it more enjoyable than wrestling. Every person has a goal. Mine was to become a champion and to win a gold medal. I have accomplished that. It is hard for an athlete to remain successful in the same field. The urge to always pursue novelties is within my soul.
You experience national joy when you are wrestling. But in K-1 martial art, only people who bet on you will benefit from this success.
It is about my character. I brought a gold medal to my country. I also hope to present one more gold to Egypt and to the Islamic world in Beijing. After that I intend to make some money.
You employ a very risky technique in wrestling. When your opponents think they are about to pin you, all of a sudden you turn around and pin them.
Yes, but I do not always use this technique. I do that when I am sure of myself. I know I would fail if I make the wrong move. I get support from somewhere, of course, when I make that move.
After winning the Olympic championship in Athens, has the level of interest in wrestling increased in Egypt? Have they filled the sports arenas?
It is being said that after I won the championship, interest in wrestling in Egypt has increased 40 percent. My pictures are still being hung on walls in the homes of many families in Egypt.
What do you think about Turkish wrestling?
Turks are the best wrestlers in the world. It’s an undebatable fact. I grew up listening to tales about Turkish wrestlers. Turkey was a country everyone was enviously looking up to. But there has been a pause. The reason being that new wrestlers have not emerged after the champion wrestlers.
It is said that you bargained intensely for a transfer deal with Turkish managers during the 2004 Athens Olympics. Did you receive any offers from Turkey?
No, I did not. But I received offers from the United States, France and Australia. The U.S. offered me $1 million a year. But like the Turkish nation, Egyptians are also very emotional. Athletes from different countries can wear the U.S. jersey, however, this is something very difficult for an Egyptian and a Turk to do. You cannot be competing for a country, and while you are being applauded, that country is drawing negative reactions from Muslims.
What would be your response if Turkey made you an offer?
I would accept it. I would feel honored to wear the Turkish jersey. Because Turkey is a home like Egypt for me. Though there is a border, it makes no difference to me. We were together during the Ottoman era. We lived for years on the same land as brothers and sisters. Now when I look at Istanbul, I see Cairo. Mosques, people, and even the food are similar. I feel at home. Why can’t I wear the Turkish jersey? I don’t think Turkish people would react against this.
Which wrestler do you emulate?
I have always watched Russian wrestler Alexander Karalin with admiration. Besides, I also like the style of Hamza [Yerlikaya] very much. Another wrestler, I also emulate is Seref Eroglu. Seref wrestles very wisely and is more talented than I am. He is a wrestler whose sports IQ is very high. But he has a flaw, and that is, he gets tired very quickly. My guess is that he does not train hard enough. If Seref can surmount this flaw, I think no wrestler in the world would dare challenge him.
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