The Power of Ramadan: How Judoka Shamil Borchashvili Prepares for Competition

After dark, he strengthens himself for the following two training sessions at night with his younger brother Wachid (25), the older brother and trainer Kiran (30) and five training partners from Georgia. Training ends shortly after 2:30 a.m.

Two brothers, one goal

The Chechnya-born Borchashvili brothers are currently preparing for the highlights of the season: the European Championships in Zagreb at the end of April and the World Championships in May in Abu Dhabi. Afterwards it will be decided whether Shamil or Wachid will take to the mat for Austria at the Olympic Games in the summer. Both are fighting in the class up to 81 kilograms, only one will make it to Paris. “I deliberately don’t do any competitions during Ramadan,” says Shamil Borchashvili. “I was second in Tashkent and fifth in Baku. That’s enough because I’ve seen where I stand with my performance.”

The class up to 81 kilograms is the most competitive of all, you have to work a lot during training not only physically, but also mentally. Ramadan helps him. “So much is going on in training now and I’m gaining so much strength during this time. After Ramadan I am full of energy and the batteries are charged.”

For him, Ramadan is a stress-free time, a time for family and friends. “I love Ramadan, it’s so good for me,” he says. “For me, faith comes first. Because of him I grew a lot as a person. It was through faith that I was able to overcome all the setbacks in my life.”

Fasting and exercise

Before the Olympic Games in Tokyo three years ago, Ramadan fell in the middle of preparation for the tournament – Borchashvili won the longed-for medal. In 2012, the month of fasting coincided with the Olympics in London. At that time, a large proportion of the estimated 3,500 Muslim athletes abstained from religious fasting because otherwise it is hardly possible to achieve top performance. If athletes do not consume enough energy, i.e. carbohydrates, this leads to a decline in performance, and a dehydrated body can lead to serious health problems, especially in endurance sports. That’s why some athletes make up for Lent, others donate to help poor people as compensation. “I’ve heard that too,” says Borchashvili. “But I don’t know enough about it.”

At least this year, giving up Ramadan is not an issue for the judoka. He is so far ahead in the world rankings that he doesn’t have to worry. “I only see advantages. This is the best time for me to gain strength, I am calm and relaxed. People who have never done it have a hard time imagining what it can do.”

2024-03-20 05:34:07
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