Athlete from New Zealand enjoys Kazakh wrestling

A sumo wrestler from New Zealand Chico Pemberton loves Kazakhstan and the national sport Kazakh Kures. For four years in a row, Chico Pemberton has traveled more than 14,000 kilometers to personally participate in the Alem Barysy championship. Every time, the man becomes the favorite of the audience and the heaviest participant. He weighs 175 kilograms.

“The federation contacted me, if I wanted to be, if I was interested in representing New Zealand in kazakh kuresi. It’s very similar to sumo wrestling, a bit more techniques involved. I just wish I had a lot more time to train with Kazakh wrestlers. they’re really strong people, I’m going to admit, very strong people. Some of them, they might look small, but they‘re very strong. I got a lot of respect for those guys,” shared the athlete.

The athlete was delighted not only by this sport, but also by the country, especially, by the cordiality of Kazakhs. The wrestler visited Nur-Sultan, Almaty and around the city. He studied the culture of Kazakh people, partly, the language as well. He tried, as he admitted, unique national dishes.

“Horse, I had a horse a few times. It was normal, I had it once in Australia, a long time ago, but I had it over in Kazakhstan. But I tried many dishes, and I love it too. Everybody’s friendly, that’s what I really noticed. I made a lot of friends over there. That was the best thing about it,” added Pemberton.

The athlete lives in the Cook Islands near New Zealand. He specializes in sumo wrestling, but also practices other types of martial arts. Now he specializes in the Kazakh Kures, too. The wrestler wants to improve his skills in the Kazakh national wrestling and return to Kazakhstan.

 

Translation by Saniya Sakenova

Editing by Galiya Khassenkhanova