Wrestling

Zakhar Dzmitrychenka lifts Nguyễn Thị Thanh Trúc during their wrestling match in Triều Khúc Villages Festival. — Photos of Grappling Việt Nam

HÀ NỘI — Undefeated wrestler Zakhar Dzmitrychenka has not only drawn the attention of huge crowds at village festivals, but has also become a top trend on social media over the past few weeks.

With his beard, tied-back hair and tall, broad figure of 1.81m and 85kg, the Belarusian has become a highlight in all traditional wrestling competitions that he takes part in around Hà Nội since the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday.

Zakhar Dzmitrychenka's six-pack, muscular body, height, Thor-like appearance and outstanding performance have made him a phenomenon in wrestling festivals.

The appearance of 'Thor', the nickname given to him by his Vietnamese fans, is sure to draw a crowd to wrestling festivals, with everyone excited to watch him in person. On the internet, his match videos receive remarkable interactions and become top trends on YouTube and TikTok.

He performs well starting from his pre-match ritual, with light footsteps and arm movements like a local, but also shows excellent wrestling skills that have helped him keep his unbeaten record.

Among those who lost to 'Thor' were Japanese fighter Masafumi Arikawa and Asian jujitsu winner Nguyễn Thị Thanh Trúc at the Triều Khúc Village Festival.

Zakhar Dzmitrychenka takes on Japanese fighter Masafumi Arikawa.

On February 12, Dzmitrychenka won over two-time World Beach Cup jujitsu champion Đào Hồng Sơn. He then took on former nine-time national champion Nguyễn Thế Cử in Châu Phong Village. The duo made a thrilling match, which was finally announced a draw after 10 rounds.

Sơn, who is also a judo fighter, admitted he was "overwhelmed" when he saw Dzmitrychenka's performance. He expressed his appreciation of the Belarusian's physical strength, saying that Vietnamese wrestlers would have a very slim chance of winning against him.

Sơn also revealed that a match between Dzmitrychenka and five-time SEA Games wrestling champion Hà Văn Hiếu, Việt Nam's largest athlete at 1.91m in height and 130kg in weight, would be announced soon.

Born in 1996, Dzmitrychenka was the national wrestling champion and achieved the title of Master of Sports in wrestling in his homeland. He also won a bronze medal at the IBWA World Championship and reached the top 10 of the U23 World Championship in Greco-Roman wrestling.

In addition to wrestling, Dzmitrychenka, who was based in Nha Trang for two years, also practised mixed martial arts.

Dzmitrychenka in the mount position at an MMA event against Trần Quốc Toản in the LION Championship 19. Photo of LION Championship

His mastery of wrestling and his physical strength helped him defeat rival Trần Quốc Toản with a ground and pound technique within two minutes in Việt Nam's leading MMA event, the LION Championship 19, in Phú Quốc last November.

Previously, he beat Vietnamese fighter Lê Hồng Giang by a unanimous decision in the LION Championship 15 in Hà Nội. VNS