By Maia Efrem
In Brighton Beach, New York’s little Russia by the sea, the disappointment with Russia’s shocking and abysmal performance in the Vancouver Winter Olympics,
was palpable.
“There were people crying after the Russia- Canada hockey game,” said Max Aranbayev, owner of Kebeer Bar and Grill, 1003 Brighton Beach Ave.
The Russian Olympic team earned a mere three gold medals and a total of 15, in what many are calling the worst showing in 50 years. Early this week, President Dmitry Medvedev warned that sports officials “should do the honorable thing and offer a resignation” or risk being fired. Leonid V. Tyagachev, who held the post of the head of the Olympic Committee since 2001, resigned .
It had been a difficult two weeks at Kebeer, a mecca for Russian fans during the Olympics. “There used to be such strong pride in Russia before, but now it has all come down to the dollar and enterprises,” said Aranbayev.
While some in the media labeled Medvedev’s harsh words as a public ploy to reduce Russia’s humiliation, Aranbayev believes asking for a resignation was the right thing to do. “Fish begins to smell from the head,” he said. “It’s not the athlete’s fault, it’s the officials who have to answer.”
Aranbayev, from Uzbekistan, harbors suspicions that transcend poor play. He suspects, for instance, that the hockey game between Russia and Canada was fixed. Even in defeat, he says, the Russian players succeeded in drawing the interest of major teams in the West. “It will be interesting to follow and see where all those players will be in six months to a year,” he said. “My bet is that they’ll be playing for an American or Canadian team.”
Gary Don, a regular at Kebeer and a native of Moscow, has lived in New York for 30 years, but that in no way diminished his pride in his homeland’s teams. “Of course I support Russia. It’s in your genetics, it’s in your blood,” he said. “It’s our motherland.”
The next Winter Olympics will be held in Sochi, Russia, which will only heighten the stakes and the pressure for the host team to perform well. “If you don’t bring results, there will be consequences,” Don said.
Still, there was consolation to be found in the company of his compatriots at Kebeer. ”It’s the perfect location.,” he said. “If Russia wins, then you drink. And when they lost, we still drank. See, perfect location.”
Leave a Reply