LOCAL resident and first team rugby coach at Hoërskool Dinamika, Chris Sutton, has jetted off to Plovdiv in Bulgaria to defend the title he won in the World Veterans World Championships in Walbrzych, Poland, last year.
Sutton will be defending his title for the third successive year after successfully defending the title he won in Athens, Greece, in 2015.
A remarkable achievement.
He beat Joseph Raymond Cattan (USA) in the final quite easily, but it was his semi-final against Idris Iasulov (Russia) that was as hard a fight as you can get.
The Russian was disqualified for headbutting Sutton and striking him repeatedly. Speaking at the South African Championships on October 6 at the Portuguese Hall, he said that that fight was rewarding in many ways. Not only did winning give him a chance of defending his title, but it proved what wrestling was all about: not just moves and counter-moves, but also mental fitness. The Russian started headbutting out of pure frustration. Sutton had him in holds that, while not scoring moves, he could not get out of and was not strong enough mentally not resort to the tactics he eventually employed.
I have had a lot of dealings with Sutton in the past, especially with the rugby, and I believe that this is his strength. He is always so cool and calm. I firmly believe that this is a major part of the reason Dinamika were able to pull off a win in the Golden Lions final against Linden.
He is passionate about all that he does and it shines through.
Incidentally, Sutton has won a medal every year since 2010, including four world titles. A super accomplishment.
As Sutton explains, the Eastern bloc countries are traditionally very strong and the tournament is rotated to different countries every year.
“The difference between the South African wrestlers and the rest of the globe lies, ironically, in the bone structure. Our bones are heavier so we fight against bigger opponents who carry more muscle. This presents an interesting challenge,” says Sutton.
Remarkably, Sutton says he has to cover the costs of his annual excursions himself and receives no official help other than donations. That just shows you his dedication to the sport and what he is aiming to achieve.
Obviously in a world championship of any kind there are no easy opponents and no guarantee that any fight will be won. However, knowing Sutton and his work ethic, and the fact that he trains for two to three weeks after every championship he returns from for the next one, I have no doubt that whoever wants to defeat him will have to work for it.
Good luck on your trip. Alberton is fully behind you and is super proud of you!
Bring us back more gold.
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