The lighter side of the Games

by Egon Beiler

I can feel it! It’s all coming back to me even after four years. The Commonwealth Games in New Zealand were just sensational — one of the best trips I’ve ever been on and one of the best competitions I’ve been in.

What made it so worthwhile was the atmosphere, so inherent only to the Commonwealth Games.

For one thing, it was easy to converse in one language, a factor our wrestling team doesn’t often meet up with. Take our World Championships as an example. A course in sign language would have helped there. We tried to throw in some French with our English in case chance was in our midst. It wasn’t.

Actually, I must say our team does have most other Canadian teams beat when it comes to knowing other tongues. I remember a trip to Roumania where we had ‘one heck of a time’ trying to find out where, when, who, why, and what was going on.

Joe Dell’Aquilla tried to talk to someone at the airport (how did you guess he’s Italian?) and all he got was a shake of the head and a shrug of the shoulders. Then Richard Deschatelets tried his dialect French. That was even worse than Joe’s attempt.

“Well, Poland isn’t too far from Roumania,” said one of the guys as he let loose with some Polish, again to no avail.

We had one last chance — me, with my mixture of English-Austrian- German. Using signs and accents to make things work out a little better, we finally met up with our host and, six hours later, the problem was resolved, at least for that day.

Yes, when it comes to conversing in one tongue (although not all contingents at the Commonwealth Games speak English), you’ll find that language is one less problem to cope with.

If there’s one thing the Games have over other international competitions, it’s the air of friendship and overall amiability. Why? For one thing, there’s language — that’s really a big factor. Also, there is always something going on to keep people busy when they’re not training or competing.

For instance, when we were in Christchurch, New Zealand, the local Maoris put on a fantastic display of song and dance, winding up with a huge outdoor feast.

A pit was dug, charcoal was ignited and, when the proper temperature was reached, all sorts of meats were lowered into the pit in metal baskets. A covering was laid over the meats and the pit was then covered in earth, creating a sort of charcoal steambath.

Let me tell you — we had finished our competition and started ‘bulking up’ again after three to four weeks of dieting, so it shouldn’t be difficult for you to understand why we enjoyed the friendliness and hospitality. No one can appreciate food like a wrestler.

New Zealanders showed a lot of interest in Canadians. They have a sense of humour and have a sense of ease about life, just as I believe many Canadians do. It’s this attitude — this friendliness towards athletes — that made these Games more emotionally rewarding than an international competition or world championship.

Canada placed third overall in Christchurch, behind Britain and Australia, and from all the studies and research to date, Canada should do much better this time, hopefully placing first overall. Wouldn’t that be great!

Knowing that we can realistically have such high expectations makes one much more confident as an athlete. To know that you are competing against a person equal to or not far from your capacity gives an ‘automatic’ plus psychologically.

For most Canadians, the World or Olympic title is hard to achieve, but the Commonwealth Games gives us a chance to realistically say, “that gold medal is there and I’m going to get it!” Don’t get me wrong. It’s not an easy task and you’ve got to want it badly.

Let me tell you about Mitch Kawasaki, our 106 pounder in Christchurch.

Mitch was, beyond a doubt, one of the most explosive wrestlers we had. He did have one problem though. Usually he was a lean 120 pounds and had to cut down a lot to reach his competitive weight.

The competition lasted three days and we had to weigh in each morning of those three days. It turned out that Mitch had the gold medal won by the end of the second day of competition and wasn’t sure whether or not he had to “make weight” on the final day like everyone else.

Some said he did and some said he didn’t. Not believing anyone, Mitch, clad in a rubber suit, ran half the night, back and forth in the hallways. At weigh in, an exhausted Mitch was told by the referees that he didn’t have to weigh in after all.

In frustration, Mitch shoved the referee aside, weighed himself in and said:

“See! I made the weight anyhow! So there!”

How do you like that for psych and determination! How do you like that for wanting it badly!

Like many other Games, the Commonwealth Games will offer an opportunity for a multitude of mischievous endeavours.

Have you noticed that other athletes claim it’s always the wrestlers who seem to start things rolling?

Remember Bulgaria’s World Student Games last year? Well, it was us who started the famous “water war” with the Italian contingent. Let me tell the story.

The Italians were housed directly above the Canadians. They were forever trying to soak the ‘poor’ Canadians who were nonchalantly looking out the windows below. Besides, they kept us up all hours of the night with a constant stream of noise. Since it was difficult to throw water against gravity, we let them have their fun until the day of their departure.

As they congregated downstairs, the wrestlers found and filled as many buckets as possible and let the Italians have it. After an hour or so, our artillery was abruptly cut off by the house manager who shut off the water supply. The Games police scurried to the rescue as the wrestlers and their allies retreated to their rooms.

I have never seen people so wet as the Italians. While the ‘incident’ did arouse some hostility, we certainly thought they deserved it.

The 1978 Commonwealth Games will be exciting as well, for when teams get together, things like this happen.

But, in essence, everyone knows that the Games provide a stepping stone to other valuable competition such as a world championship or Olympics.

I found that the Games taught me to set my level of aspiration just slightly higher for the next competition; for example, the Pan American Games. The thrill of experience that athletes encounter at successive competitions is unsurpassed by what they experience on the field, in the gym or pool, or on the mats.

Let Edmonton’s Commonwealth Games be that stepping stone. Every Canadian athlete has an excellent chance at that gold medal. I’m sure these Games will add their own special flavour and will be worthwhile for you.

Have fun and let me know after the Games if it was worthwhile!

Egon Beiler, 25, is a native of Kitchener. He has won gold medals in 62 kg at the 1974 Commonwealth Games and the 1975 Pan American Games and competed at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics.

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