Wrestlers
Wednesday. A regular training day for the young wrestlers at Letea Sport Club in a suburb with a few remaining red brick villas in the south-east of Bacau. Legacy of the communist era, the club was home for a few international champions in late 80's. Adrian Munteanu, European champion, springs to mind here. Now a private organisation, its struggle for sponsorship is noticeable. It takes more than two visits I made in 2014 to understand their aspirations and to discover the detachment of these children from material rewards. Beyond all signs of decay, poorly lit corridors, ragged leather mannequins and the mats bearing the of sweat of former champions, one thing glowed and raised: the overwhelming enthusiasm and dedication of these kids to their trainer and the sport, often times for a simple reward as a ROM chocolate bar at the end of the session. Sep 2014, Romania