• Israel Tshikeva
• Christ Tshikeva

Israel Tshikeva

FEATURE: Israel Tshikeva Moving to a New place at 17 without your parents is never easy. ISRAEL TSHIKEVA left everything and everyone behind in London to move to Manchester GB Team in order to fulfil his dreams of being one of the top Olympic wrestlers at 100kg. “I made my decision to come up here because I wanted to improve my freestyle wrestling. My family and my Coaches has always been very supportive,” Israel said. “They knew it was where my heart was at and what I needed to do. Since he left London, he has not looked back on his decision. When Israel is not in school, he is training at the Haringey and Lewisham Wrestling Club in London. “he has good fundamentals and is a joy to work with. he is in school and at the training center, that says a lot about his right there,” Lewisham Wrestling Club head Coach Muladi said, “I have been happy to work with him and enhance his skills to get him at the next level.”Israel made 2008 a year to remember. he was placed second in the Senior World Team Trials in Russia. His greatest accomplishment of last year was bringing Bronze home from the Switzerland Junior World Championships.“Junior Worlds was unreal. I went in very under confident. It drove me to work harder so I could be that good,” he said. “I was in shock. I never put myself at that level. Even though I competed with the top wrestlers, I didn’t view myself on that caliber of wrestlers. Everything fell in to place. It gave me a lot of confidence knowing I am on my way to the top.” Currently, Israel is ranked No. 3 in his weight class on the Senior level. With all of the success he has had, he still finds it unbelievable that he is at the top. “Being at the top is always fun. It’s been shocking because I have always looked up to these Boys and they’ve been my inspiration,” Israel said. “It’s nice to win the tournaments, but it hasn’t hit me yet that I am competing with these top Boys, and that I am becoming one of the top Boys.” This year, Israel plans on making the U.K Senior World Team and U.k. World Team. In order to achieve his goals he wants to get more experience. Israel said he is getting in extra workouts after practice to get better and wants to wrestle against the older mens as much as he can. Israel will be getting the experience he wants as he will be competing in his first Senior level event representing the UK at the London Olympic Game 2012.“I’m so excited. I can’t believe the competition that is going to be there,” he said. “I don’t even know what to expect. I am going in with an open mind but I am nervous because I have never experienced anything at the senior Olympic Game.” Coach Muladi said he believes Israel has what it takes to make it at this level. “he is a high performance athlete,” he said. “he is already the best in the world in his age group. I think he can get stronger to become better. he has a good shot at making our Senior World Team this year.”With high and reachable goals for this year, Gray is looking toward the future and where she wants to be.

 

Christ Tshikeva