A Romanian at top of ladder
In an exclusive interview given to our publication,’Casino Life & Business Magazine’, the sportsman opened up about his life, career and future projects.
– You are 26 and people alreadywhisper your name in K-1. What is your biggest achievement so far?
– There are many, indeed… One of them would be that I can still do this sport, which is very tough and challenging. My career results are numerous, coming after games with the best professionals in the world. Very many victories against top sportsmen, big names in the kickboxing. Before I joined the profesional league, I had done wushu and become European champion and multiple national champion. I truly hope I will not stop here, I am still young.
– What has been your most difficult game so far?
– Since I turned professional, all the games have been effortful.
– How do you get along with your brother, Bogdan Stoica, a big name himself in kickboxing? Do you train together, support each other?
– Yes, we do train together, get on very well. If I think better, I am actually training the best beside him, both in technique and sparing. Our relation is great, it is the brotherly connection that is obvious during training. We give good advice to each other, and our sparing sessions are the most intense in the whole gym.
– How did you get into kickboxing ?
– I have loved sports since childhood. First, I have become passionate about the Local Kombat phenomenon in Romania. Besides, there was the opportunity to train in a gym that had newly opened, right by my house, at Ghencea sport arena. And this is something I did not want to miss…
– Did you have a model to look up in this ?
– You can imagine, just like any other child. I really loved Bonjasky and many others who were trendy back then.
– For this year, what is your schedule, what games are you going to have?
– I will have one soon, on August 30, in Targoviste. I hope to do well, win it by KO. After that, there is a Superkombat gala on September 28. A quite busy calendar, but I am confident that I will hold my opponents at bay.
– Famous Alin Panait is training you, from Respect Gym. What is your relation with him?
– We are doing great together, which is evident in my good results. He is a coach with extraordinary teaching skills. Apart from working with our body, he is touching our souls, boosts our morale up. First our hearts and then comes the training.
– You are a top fighter. What qualities do you think are required to get there, among the best?
– You must win all the games. Victory is the best quality. If you win here and there, you cannot reach the podium. You have to win them all.
– What advice would you give to the starters in this sport?
– They have to keep going. At first, the training is rather strenous, and they should not be disheartened by the people at the gym,who are not clubbies at all. The idea is that they must pursue their goal.
– How does a regular day in your life look like, when a game is not on?
– I get up very early in the morning, eat breakfast, take a walk in my yard, spend some time with my little recently born boy, watch TV, check out K-1 games on my laptop – I cannot surf the internet and not watch some kickbox. Then, I read the newspapers, walk out of the house, a coffee with my friends, take my vitamins. In the afternoon, I have my training. When it is done, I go home and straight to bed. It is a simple life, but what a noble goal! Training is a daily business, whether we have a game or not.
– Any hobbies outside sport?
– To hang out with my friends, to spend quality time together, to share a laugh. I have accompanied a friend to the offroad competitions – as a copilot, of course. It is still an adrenalin-filled sport.
– For your life, what is the greatest wish?
– First of all comes health for my boy, wife and my family. Then, stableness that is as important as health. I do not want us worry about tomorrow, to smoothly get my career to its normal end.
– Should you were to start it over, would you still take on this sport?
– Yes, I would do kickboxing, too, but I would have a better beginning. Should I start it now, I would know all the mistakes I have made and never go back there. I would definitely have a better kickoff.
– What is that you have not attained so far, personally and professionally?
– On a personal level, I have everything I have ever wanted. As for the sport angle, I wish to get as high as possible, lilke any top sportsman. My plans are not all fulfilled, but everything requires baby steps. I need to be patient and surely I will score the best.
– Have you ever played at a casino, been in contact with the gambling world?
– To be honest, I am kind of drawn to this field, it is very pleasant. When walking in a casino, you feel like a child. I have friends who are playing, but I cannot see myself lose money. Well, you can also win there, that’s for sure. But my guess is that you have to lose first. It is bad if I lose, cannot look at myself in the mirror. Yes, I went to casinos, for fun, entertainment, did not consider the winning at all.
– What is your opinion about our publication, ‚Casino Life & Business Magazine’? Any message for our readers?
– I know about the magazine, saw it at the casinos. For the readers, should they have this excitement to play, I tell them to be careful, to keep their balance between gambling and what is outside, to know when to stop. I wish them win all the time and guess all the lucky numbers.
