Shatilov looks like a commercial for Israel. His blue eyes match the Israeli flag on his chest, and the one peeking out of a black elegant suit. He looks a little like the Israeli Superman we have always wanted. Kind of like a Superhero that perfectly represents the melting pot that was created here. Shatilov is modest, he speaks quietly but confidently, and it’s evident that is he grounded. He makes you feel like he really loves what he does, and feels honestly proud that he gets to represent Israel in the upcoming Olympic Games.
We meet to talk about the trip to the Olympics, and Shatilov dedicates to me precious minutes between each shooting session. He takes a part in a campaign for the Olympic Games called “The Diplomats” which is being led by the Olympic Committee of Israel and the Eldad Peri Group.
Another participant is this campaign is Ma’ayan Davidovich, Israel’s Champion in Wind Surfing on the Neil Pryde board model in the last eleven years. Additionally Davidovich is the runner in the European Championship and have earned two bronze medals from the World Championships in 2013 and 2014. Like Shatilov she is one of our biggest bets in the upcoming Olympics. Both athletes are being sponsored by the Eldad Peri Group, what allows them to be focused on the most important thing - winning.
“I tend to go abroad a lot for championships, and when I’m there I feel like I represent my country and myself”, Shatilov replies when I ask him what it means to him to be an Israeli in a world where Israel is constantly being criticized. “I feel like I’ve spent most of my life abroad and because of that I get to explain Israel’s position a lot. I was in Germany, France, Belgium, China, USA and more, and I get to meet colleagues from all over the world. Because of all the diplomatic work me and other Israelis are doing, everybody knows the story of our country,” he says.
“We managed to bring the Russian National Sports Team to Israel”
Shatilov, 29, was born in Uzbekistan and made an Aliyah when he was 15. Last year he got married to the love of his youth, Ella, and he dedicates most of his time to training. The Rio Olympics are the third games he will be participating in and the expectations of him are very high.
He’s Europe’s Floor Exercise Champion and earned two bronze medals in World Championships. He earned a gold medal in the World Championship in horizontal bar exercises in 2014, and he is the only Israeli gymnast to earn a silver and gold medals in European Championship. He is also the first Israeli to earn a medal in the World Championship, and the first to advance to the finals in both the Olympics and the World Championship.
I’m sure that you get a lot of questions about Israel when you are abroad. Which questions you get asked the most?
“The question I get asked the most is if there’s a war here, and also about Operation Protective Edge that was two years ago. Sometimes people ask primitive questions like “Where do you guys train?”, because there are some people that think we have camels on the streets here and that the country is not very evolved. Of course I immediately explain that the reality in Israel is completely different.”
And what is the most surprising outlook on Israel?
“Personally, it seems weird to me that there are people who are afraid to come and compete here, but in the last few years we managed to do a good job and bring some athletes that we didn't think would ever come. We managed to get the Russian National Sports Team to come to Israel for a recovery training, after we explained that despite popular belief it not dangerous here. And they came. We hosted a few competitions in which 78 countries participated, even though they were concerned. Look, I think that Israel is the safest place in the world, but people watch television and see reports that only show the wars and the terror attacks so it’s a problem”.
Shatilov says that he doesn’t conceal the hardships and problems that exist in Israel, but he doesn’t conceal the wrong perception about Israel either. “It’s true, we have our problems, I’m not ignoring them, but in the end of the day we are trying to live a normal life here. And yet, not everything is normal. You can never get used to others shooting rockets at you”.
Did you ever experience a negative reaction towards Israel from representatives from countries that don’t have good relations with Israel?
“No one boycotted us, but there is one incident I remember. It happened when we were in a training camp five or six years go. One of the trainees got angry about the military operation IDF performed at that time (Operation Cast Lead), so me and my friend explained the situation to him. It’s not just me who is involved Public Diplomacy, it the whole Israeli team. We give examples, like the everyday lives of the people from the south that can’t send their children to school or kindergarten. The world is not aware of what’s really happening in Israel.
I never hide anything and always with the Israeli flag proud on my chest. I never tried to hide it, even though sometimes I get instructions from security not to walk around in clothes that can get me associated with being Jewish or Israeli, because unfortunately you can still encounter Anti-Semitism. But personally I try to wear the shirt of the Israeli team every chance I get”.
And what do you think about the Israeli Sports in general?
“For me it is home. It’s the thing I love doing the most and of course I’m proud to represent Israel. We need to remember that we are athletes, not politicians, and before everything our goal is to compete and to exercise, and not to do politics. It is a known fact that sports is above politics, but still we can’t forget where we are from. We don’t just represent ourselves - we represent Israel, and it is something that is always present with us.”
Love Israel Channel was born last summer from the cooperation between Mako and the Eldad Peri Group and its goal is to show the world the beautiful face of Israel and contribute to the Israeli Hasbara front both in Israel and the world. Just like we try to tell the truth about Israel, “The Diplomats” campaign tries to get involved in what really matters and provide our athletes with the best support that will help them to achieve greatness on an international level and to realize their true potential.