From Russia with love

By Aaron Scoones

Dr Andrew Moshanov grapples with Island Games gold medallist Roberto Mascherucci. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0590132)

A TOP Russian judo coach has fallen in love with the island – and it could lead to big things.

Dr Andrew Moshanov, sixth dan, was recently in the Channel Islands in his role as the technical director of the British Judo Association.

Organised by the Judo Association of Guernsey, his first visit to the island was specifically to revalidate the six BJA level two coaches who run the three local clubs – the Guernsey Judo Club, the Rising Sun School of Judo and Judo Frascati. The training session lasted four hours and was held at Brock Road Youth Centre.

‘Dr Moshanov was so impressed with the local set-up and the beauty of Guernsey he is going to recommend to his colleagues in Moscow that they consider sending the national under-18 squad here for their summer camp, hopefully in 2009,’ said the chairman of the GJC, Mitch Agnelli.

Moshanov has a fascinating CV.

In 1979, he was USSR U-17 champion and a member of the national U-20 squad.

In 1990, he became the national coach for Russian women’s judo.

From 1996 to 2000 he was the national coach for Taiwan before he was appointed sports director of the Russian Judo Federation.

He took up his current role with the BJA in 2005.

Agnelli was very impressed with the Russian and is hoping to get him back next year.

‘He was absolutely brilliant,’ he said.

‘In all my years of seeing judo coaches, I would consider him the best all-round coach. JAG were very lucky to get him.

‘We’ve been trying for a year to get him here.’

The feeling was mutual from Moshanov.

‘A good team of coaches working together well in the right direction,’ he said.

The recently elected vice-chairman of Hampshire County Judo, Peter Powell, accompanied Mashanov in examining the local players.