GG Suleimenov

Arman Suleimenov wrestled for his country through his twenties, taking medals at home and one appearance at the highest level, and calls the cauliflower ear his diploma. He lectures in sports physiology now, and animatedly, which surprises anybody who meets him at a board first. He only plays away. In hotels, in departure lounges, in the fortnight of a conference, on the long train legs, and never once from his own flat, which he cannot account for beyond saying that the game belongs to the travelling part of his life. Students who have heard him talk for ninety minutes find the quiet hard to reconcile. His old coaches would not.