Alexander Khizhnyak

Promising Ukrainian boxer Alexander Khizhnyak said iSport.ua about the European youth championship, about the new categories and the offers from promoters.

At the Olympic games in Rio, the national team of Ukraine in Boxing remained without medals, but given our glorious traditions and watching the victories Vasyl Lomachenko, Oleksandr Usyk, Oleksandr gvozdik and others, there is confidence that after four years in Tokyo we will see our boxers with medals.

One of the leaders of the current team is a young boxer from Poltava Alexander Khizhnyak, loved by fans due to its performance over Ukrainian atamans last season.

In the new Olympic cycle, Alexander Khizhnyak replaced weight category, dropping the weight to 75 kg, and for the first time became the champion of Ukraine, defeating the experienced captain Dmitry Mitrofanov, and recently won a gold medal at the European championship among boxers to 22 years.

It is with this conversation about success in Romania iSport.ua and started a conversation with Alexander.

- You’re a pretty experienced boxer, despite his age, is a member of the national team. Why the coaches decided to send you to the European championship under 22 years of age?

- Before last autumn to win the adult championship of Ukraine, I became the winner of Ukrainian championship under 22 years of age. After that, the coaching Board decided that I need to go to the European championship U-22 held in Romania. It would be a major gain for a young team, to help them psychologically, and for me, good preparation for the adult European championship in the summer will be held in Kharkiv.

- For the European championship, the team went with a purpose?

We went for the largest possible number of medals. We prepared well in training camp, there were four of them before the European championship in Coloma, in Kharkov. I would like to thank the organizers of the workshop, because the training was held at the highest level. The result of the work in training camp and was the performance at the European Championships.

Separately want to thank the coach of the national team Dmitry Sosnowski, who sent us massage, thanks to which we was able to rehabilitate during the competition.

- How difficult for you was a victory in the European championship?

- A complex. It should be noted that in Romania came strong team, many of the boxers in the summer will arrive in Ukraine on adult Championships. In my category to 75 kg it was, if I’m not mistaken, the largest number of participants, so I had to spend five matches.

Mesh I was tense, and, as it turned out, the battles were all hard – had to enter the ring against boxers from Italy, Germany, Slovakia, Russia and Belarus. I am satisfied with the level of competition and the work that has been done on the way to a gold medal.

- What match was the most difficult?

- Heavy was the first fight against German Stefan Nikitina, because you do not know your form, what you can do. But the most difficult was the fights against the Russian Dmitry Nesterov and against the Italian Salvatore, Cavallaro.

Is your first gold medal so important in adult competitions. Is it possible to compare it with the previous achievements at the youth level, where you became world champion?

- I already had the medals in adult competition, for example, bronze European games, but really, the gold I still didn’t win. If we compare with the youth Boxing, this gold medal on the European championship is at a higher level.

In this Olympic cycle you are in category to 75 kg, although most Boxing fans are accustomed to see you in the category of 81 kg. what is the solution?

- It was a decision jointly with the team coach Dmitry Sosnovsky with my dad and coach Alexander Alexandrovich Chinacom. I wanted to box in this category, the weight allowed. I decided to try what it would be in this category, because in the 81 kg I was seriously on the international stage, my opponents were much harder. In the new category I feel normal here and while nothing is going to change.

- Wait, your father is also Alexander? It’s a tradition?

- We have a family like sons called Alexander and the grandfather Alexander, and great-grandfather. Actually, Yes, it’s a family tradition.

- It is interesting. Okay, back to your career. You don’t get to the Olympics, although many hoped to see you there…

- I was a bit unlucky. I was fourth in the tournament, where he gave three licenses, and stopped in the quarterfinals of the tournament, where he gave four licenses. A little is not enough, somewhere grabbed the judge, somewhere he didn’t finish.

- Disappointed?

- Of course, disappointed. We were sure that we will be able to win the Olympic license. The whole team was sure of that, but I can see how it turned out. Now began a new Olympic cycle and start to work on something to get to Tokyo. We’re not going back into the past and look only forward.

Then as it turned out, Denis Solonenko in my category won a license and I was genuine happy for him that he went to Rio, and there he represented Ukraine.

Summer certainly had offers to go Pro?

- Had many offers to go into professional Boxing, and now they keep coming, constantly call, write. But all I want to say that in the next Olympic cycle, maybe two, conversations about professional Boxing can not be. I now represent Ukraine, gain experience, win medals, and yet this question about the go Pro did not pick up.

- You are now in the national team has to compete for a place in the first issue of captain Dmitry Mitrofanov…

- Yes, when I was down in this category, understand that there is Dmytro Mitrofanov. It is a respected boxer, not only in our country. Wanted to check with him. We have him in the championship of Ukraine turned out to be a tense match, some even called it the most beautiful at the national championship. At that moment I was better, but I give respect to the opponent.

- What are you doing now? In the camp, or even resting after the European Championships?

- Now go through the recovery period after a championship. We are constantly in touch with the head coach. Now a little rest and we will go further on fees.

- Hope to see you on the European championship which in June will be held in Kharkiv?

- I don’t think. It will solve coach, the coaching Board on the basis of fees.

Talked - Vitaly And Volodko

According to the materials:

iSport.ua
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