Mindaugas Gedminas is not allowed to have a coach in Olympic qualification

The short version

• Boxer Mindaugas Gedminas (27) reacts to not being able to bring his own coach to the Olympic qualifiers in Thailand in May.
• Gedminas believes that coach Zayndi Arsaev’s guidance is absolutely necessary to perform at his best.
• He is disappointed by the lack of communication and is now collecting over NOK 70,000 to bring the coach.
• Secretary General of the Norwegian Boxing Association, Erik Nilsen, says tighter financial frameworks are the reason, and that the coach was involved in earlier qualifications.
• AIK-Lund pays for Gedminas, but not the coach – for financial reasons.

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– The association does not make it possible for me to perform at my best. This is ugly and unprofessional, says Gedminas to VG and elaborates:

– I know the difference between my performances with and without coach Zayndi Arsaev. His guidance is critical at this level and without him, my ability to compete at my best is greatly impaired, says Gedminas – who now has his absolute last chance to secure a place at the Paris Olympics.

In March, the AIK-Lund boxer tried to reach the Olympics via a qualifying tournament in Italy. He was able to compete despite a serious biceps injury in the run-up, but lost on points to Hungarian Pylyp Akilov, who later secured an Olympic place.

Mindaugas Gedminas

• Born: 13 September 1996 (age 27).
• Club: AIK-Lund, Kristiansand.
• Has several NM gold in middle weight (75 kg) and light heavyweight (80 kg).
• Has four golds in Nordic championships.
• Participated in the WC in 2021.
• Lost to Russian Gleb Bakshi in the final and decisive match as he tried to qualify for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
• Must be among the top four in the qualifying tournament in Thailand in May/June to qualify for the Olympics in light heavyweight (80 kg).

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Now Gedminas is going to Thailand to make a last attempt to reach the Paris Olympics. The matches take place at the turn of May/June, and the aim is naturally enough to keep up with Sunniva Hofstad and Omar Shia, who qualified in Italy.

Sports manager in the boxing association, Martin Kitel, will travel to Thailand and, according to the plan, take part in a training camp ahead of the tournament. Shia will also be there to get sparring and training.

Private financing

National team colleague Martin Skogheim was also supposed to be there, along with his coach Alexander Hagen, but has canceled due to injury. Coach Hagen stays at home, without it affecting Gedmina’s situation. It was the Romerike Boxing Club that was supposed to pay for Hagen’s travel.

AIK-Lund have decided that they will not do the same, and thus Gedminas will not be bringing the coach with him.

– The Norwegian Boxing Association has constantly mentioned that they lack funds, but I am also disappointed that they have not told me about this in good time. It is unprofessional, believes Gedminas, who is now himself trying to collect over NOK 70,000 to have the coach present.

– I am also disappointed with the management in AIK-Lund, who could have contributed more practically and helped me find a better solution financially, says Gedminas.

– Don’t you also have a responsibility to be at the forefront so that you have more time to find solutions?

– I have been nagging the management to forward us information, every time something new comes from the association. But the management of the club chooses to keep things hidden, claims Gedminas.

– The deadline to sign up for my own trainer in the ring corner has passed, but just having him in the arena will be a great help, says the 27-year-old, who plans to become a professional boxer after the Olympics.

The club’s decision

He has also been frustrated by the fact that he has not been allowed to attend professional matches alongside amateur matches.

– We have had a dialogue with the club. They cover the deductible for Gedminas, but not the coach, says general secretary of the Norwegian Boxing Association, Erik Nilsen, to VG.

He emphasizes that coach Arsaev was offered to take part in the Olympic qualification in the European Games in Poland last year – then at Olympiatoppen’s expense.

– The coach did not fill in the forms correctly, but could have left if he had done so, explains sports manager in AIK-Lund, Bjarne Kristian Skjervedal, to VG.

– I was not told that I had to fill in anything. Everyone knew I wanted to go, says Arsaev to VG.

– It takes a lot of work to develop a good boxer, and of course all coaches want to be as close as possible and take part in championships, he says.

– Tidy

Coach Arsaev took part in the qualifying tournament in Italy in March. Then the association and club split the coaching costs.

– Now there are tighter financial frameworks. Gedminas does not receive a scholarship from the Olympiatoppen and must comply with the framework available to the club and association, says Nilsen.

– It is solely due to economics. The board of the club has decided that only Mindaugas will be covered, after we also covered for the coach in the first qualification, says Skjervedal.

– There has been a clear and orderly dialogue between club and association, believes Skjervedal and states:

– We run an organized sports club that is also for the wider community. We are responsible for its existence and reasonable operation, and have spent a lot of resources on Mindaugas for eight years. As I said, this is only a financial decision.