Dilshot Khalmatov, the silver medalist of the European Judo Championship, has openly shared details of his athletic past, admitting that at a certain point in his career he obtained Bahraini citizenship. The Ukrainian athlete spoke about the motives behind his transfer and explained the reasons why he ultimately decided to return to his homeland. According to the athlete, the offer to compete under the flag of the Arab country came unexpectedly right after the Junior World Championship via Instagram.
The Bahrain Offer and Living with Naturalized Athletes
Without dwelling too much on the prospects, the young wrestler agreed and soon traveled to Bahrain to obtain documents. As a result, the athlete received an official passport of this Middle Eastern state. As Khalmatov recalls, at that time there was a significant number of naturalized Russian judoka in the country, who still remain there today. For some time, the Ukrainian had to share everyday life and training processes directly with them, living in the same territory.Unfulfilled Financial Obligations and Return to Ukraine
However, the attempt to establish himself in the foreign national team did not succeed due to a number of weighty reasons. According to the agreement terms, the athlete was promised a stable and high salary, for which he only needed to sign a contract with the Bahraini armed forces. Khalmatov never received the promised financial payments, which became the main impetus for terminating relations and returning to Ukraine. Despite holding a foreign passport, the judoka continued all his international performances exclusively under the Ukrainian flag.Preparation for the World Championship in Baku
Today, Dilshot Khalmatov is fully focused on upcoming crucial competitions and has been included in the official roster of the Ukrainian national team. The team is preparing for the World Judo Championship, which will take place from October 4 to 10 in the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku. The Judo Federation of Ukraine selected 10 athletes from the top 100 of the global ranking. Currently, Ukrainian judokas are completing a training camp at Koncha-Zaspa before flying to the world championship.
