Transylvanian-Hungarian Ferenc Gyarmati Jr. was awarded the highest title for wrestling referees in September at the 2019 World Wrestling Championships in the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan. The Golden Whistle recipient talked to Marosvásárhely Radio about his experiences.
The highest recognition of the wrestling world is usually given to referees whose career is reaching its end, but not this time. Ferenc Gyarmati, from Marosvásárhely/Târgu Mureș, is only in his mid-40s and will not only be present at the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 for sure, but has a good chance of refereeing at another two Olympic Games as well. What is certain now is that, with this award, he has reached the top of his career.
The Golden Whistle award was presented to Gyarmati Jr. in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, just before the 97-kilogram final when the whole arena was already packed. And so, the award ceremony – just like the rest of the world championship – was broadcast in 104 countries all around the world. Unfortunately no Romanian TV channel broadcast the event live, but the Hungarian M4 Sport channel did.
On Marosvásárhely Radio – where Zoltán Kádár conducted an interview with him – the award-winning referee described the two basic skills of a good referee: First, he has to detect the actions on the mat perfectly, and he has to be able to score those. Secondly, he must have very strong nerves to be able to bear the high pressure that they are put under during the wrestling competitions.
When answering the question about whether wrestlers and other referees will look at him differently now, after receiving this award, he said that he already received congratulations from all parts of the world:
“I realized that I have a serious responsibility because from now on everybody will keep an eye on my work. They will be watching how a Golden Whistle referee does his job and I will have to be a role model for the younger generations as well.”
Ferenc Gyarmati Jr. also said that he is proud of his hometown of Marosvásárhely, his surroundings, his parents and his family, and everybody from all over Transylvania, Romania, and Hungary who has given him good advice over the years.
“You should never think about, that you won’t be able to make it. You always have to be optimistic and have to set high goals for yourself. And if you work really hard and put a lot of effort into it, and if you also have talent in the profession you are in, then it is possible to reach even the top of the world.”
– concluded the best wrestling referee of 2019.
Title image: Ferenc Gyarmati Jr. (left) with the Golden Whistle at the World Wrestling Championships in Kazakhstan in September 2019. (Photo: Gyarmati Jr.’s Facebook page)
