Meet Madi Dikhanbek

The Press Service of Barys continues to get acquainted with young players from the club's system, who can make their debut in adult teams next season.

Madi Dikhanbek also spent his first full season in the YHL, and immediately became one of the leading defencemen in his team. He has 59 blocked puck rushes, 61 bodychecks and 12 penalties for their competitors. On average, Madi spent almost 21 minutes on the ice.

The player recalled his first steps in hockey, told about the differences between the leagues, and also noted the importance of personal growth in modern sports.

- Madi, I have a traditional question. Why did you find yourself in hockey?

- I was 7 years old. My parents and I were at home having dinner, and Ice Age program was on TV. My mother loved this show and figure skating in general. Then my mother suggested that my father send me to this sport. My dad didn't mind and took me to the figure skating section, but I didn't pass there because of my age. My dad decided to send me to hockey, and the next day I had my first training session. It was the first time I skated, and from then until today, hockey has become my favorite activity.

- Did you decide that you would be a defenceman yourself? Or did the coach decided so?

- The coach put me in the position of defenceman. But I didn't mind, because I immediately liked playing in this role.

- Earlier, Maxim Pavlenko confirmed that goaltenders are a separate caste. How do the defencemen stand out or differ?

- I agree with Maxim, goaltenders are actually a separate caste. As for me, they are the most important part of the team. It has been well said that a good goaltender is half of the team, or even more. They, unlike others, do a unique and, at the same time, hard and great work. The goal of defencemen is to help the goalie, make it easier for him to work and make it less. Our role differs in that the defenceman is the link between attack and defense. Defencemen must destroy the opponent's attack and immediately start their own, this is the main job of defencemen.

- Name three of the best defensemen in the history of world hockey in your opinion.

- There have been a lot of high-class defenders in history, it is difficult for me to mention the best of them. But I will name those whose game I watch and admire. This is Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks, John Carlson from the Washington Capitals, Rasmus Dahlin from the Buffalo Sabres, and also note Niklas Lidstrom, who has already finished his career.

- Let's remember the first season of Barys YHC in the Kazakhstan Youth League. You have earned 40 points in 25 matches.

- My first season in the Kazakhstan Youth League was successful for me. I scored a lot of points and I had a lot of playing time. Unfortunately, we didn't become Champions then. You can look for reasons and excuses for the lost season, but the fact that we took only second place is solely our fault. We played poorly in some important matches and lost the points we needed.

- Last season, you not only made your debut in the YHL as a member of Snezhnye Barsy, but also played 54 games, becoming the second most effective defenceman of the team. How did you manage to move to a more serious League?

- To be honest, in the first matches in the YHL, I was a little unusual after KYL. There are more games, completely different situations, high speed, less time to make a decision. Each game requires a lot of effort and attention.

- Tell us a little about the World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic.

- The World Championship in the Czech Republic is a great and valuable experience for me. We managed to play against the best youth teams in the world. We had a good chance to make the playoffs, but we didn't take it. I think we played poorly defensively in key matches. Now we need to make every effort to return to the elite.

- In fact, you have already made your debut in adult hockey at the end of last season, having played two games with Astana HC. How do you like the level of the Open Championship of the Republic of Kazakhstan?

- Games in OCRK have become a valuable experience for me, since this is already an adult championship. The difference from the YHL is that they play smart and pass more, they don't waste their energy on empty running around. I made a conclusion for myself that you can not be afraid of making a mistake, even though you are already playing at an adult level.

- Before the introduction of the quarantine, you, among other youngsters born in 2001, trained with Nomad.

- Some of the guys who were signed up for Barys during the season play in Nomad. So training with them and watching them was good for all the young guys. Everyone understands where to aim.

- How is your summer going? Is there a lot of free time?

- At first, there was a lot of free time, which I spent usefully. Personally, I spend a lot of time with my family, relatives, and friends, whom I haven't seen for a very long time. Of course, I don't forget about hockey and personal growth. I devote a lot of time to myself, my physical and psychological state. This is very important in modern sports.

- Tell us what you need to do to keep yourself in shape and not get lazy during the quarantine?

- It doesn't take much. The coaches gave us a plan for training for the pre-season, I just stick to this plan. So there is no way to be lazy. You need to be ready for the start of training camps at any time.

- Many famous sportsmen play computer games in their free time. How are you doing with this?

- There's only one computer game I play. This is "Counter Strike: Global Offensive", which is really played by many sportsmen. You can also watch movies or read books in your free time.

- Then advise our readers a couple of movies or books for the evening.

- From the movies, I really liked "Gentlemen", "The Great Gatsby" and "Titanic". Books: Remarque's "Three Comrades", as well as Stephen King's "11/22/63".

- Do you keep eye on other sports?

- In addition to hockey, I watch football and tennis. In football, I am a fan of Lionel Messi, I admire and enjoy watching his games. As for tennis, I just like this sport, just as a game.

- The next season should be a transitional and defining one for you. What are your goals for the near future?

- I understand that next season will be very important for me. The goal for this season is to play and gain a foothold at the adult level. Now I am working on this independently, but I want the quarantine to finally end. I think now all the guys want to get on the ice as soon as possible and return to their usual life.

Madi Dikhanbek

Date of birth: January 11, 2001

Citizenship: Kazakhstan

Role: Defenceman

Catch glove: left

Height: 180 cm

Weight: 76 kg

General partner of Barys HC - Samruk Kazyna SWF JSC

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