Legionnaire
Petr Vasiliev has played on the Russian Legion roster
for around four years. We try to break the silence about one
of the best European paintball teams, also renowned for being
one of the most secretive. Lucky for us, he never did make it
into the KGB.
Petr
Vasiliev, Professional Paintball Player, Russian Legion
Petr, how are you?
I'm happy. We just won the Amsterdam leg of the EXL. At the
award ceremony we got trophies and a big, mysterious envelope.
Your team is so successful, by now you must be used to these
kinds of things...
Oh no, for the past few years, we played quite well, but never
won a tournament. Actually Paris last month was the first tourney
we won.
In the public eye, you are currently
such a dominant team, many people think you were always that
good.
We work hard to be successful. 2004 will be our year.
Could you tell us a bit about your personal life?
Russian Legion is famous for being quite an opaque
team... I was born in 1977 in Moscow. My wife Diana is from
a southern region in the Caucasus. As of this year, I am now
a fully professional paintball player.
What did you do before?
When I finished school in 1994, I applied for the KGB Academy.
This was followed by three days of examinations and tests, both
academically and medically. In the end, I think I missed the
exam by one point in the Russian language part. At that time
I was disappointed, but now I'm quite satisfied, everything
turns out quite well. So instead, I started working for a service
now known as FSB, I studied foreign languages and law at a public
university, until they finally drafted me for two years in the
army.
Two years is a long time. Where did
you serve?
I was based in the Moscow area. I cannot talk about details
of my service time ...
So you were in the
Spetznas, the Russian equivalent of the Special Forces?
No comment. (smiling)
Did you serve in foreign countries?
No comment. (really smiling)
Maybe some stunts
in Chechnya?
No comment. (no smiles at all)
 Did
you do practice other sports before you started your paintball
career?
Oh yeah, I practiced a lot of different sports. I was
in a designated sports school, where they selected athletes
for the national Olympic reserve. I played volleyball, soccer,
basketball and did some swimming. I played in the highest Volleyball
league in Moscow, getting selected several times for an Allstar
team of the whole Moscow region. I used to be specialized as
a back area smasher, playing mostly in a diagonal position.
After you finished your service, how did you
make a living?
I worked as an inspector for a private bank in Moscow.
This bank was founded by the team owner of Russian Legion, Mr.
Sergei Leontiev.
So you were an accountant?
Kind of. (Smiling again). If someone owed the bank some money,
me and my team got send out to remind them about their debts.
You were armed and had to scare people into
paying?
No, no. Usually we were unarmed, but Moscow was a dangerous
place for doing business, you see, and we had to be able to
defend ourselves in case someone was looking for trouble.
Tell us about the ruthless Russian Legion training.
Since this year we have training sessions three days a week
plus weekends. Usually, we train on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
Two training units per day, each for about 2 hours. This includes
athletics and physical fitness, technical matters like marker
handling and certain motion abilities and tactical analysis
as well. On Saturday, we do more complex drills on the field
involving the whole team. Sunday we scrimmage against one or
two guest teams. If we can meet all fixed criteria and our coaches
are satisfied, Mondays and Thursdays are off days.
 How
much money do you earn for playing paintball?
Enough to live comfortably by now, but of course, everybody
could use more money, right?
How many players
are currently in your roster?
We are now approximately 18. Some of them are not even from
Russia. We have Mikko from Finland and Xalo, a player from Brazil.
You have a whole bunch of very young and talented
players on your team.
Yes, some are still under 20. For me, it is only the
fourth season, too. We have at least 5-6 players, who are no
longer on the team.
What happens, if someone
gets injured in training?
We have specialized medical personnel and the best and the most
prominent doctors look after us regularly. The club pays for
these expenses, but we have to adhere to the orders of the doctors
very strictly.
What do you think is the key
to your recent success in X-Ball?
Many, many different things are important. In general, I would
say it pays off for us to concentrate on the X-Ball format,
it is not good to mix it up with 7-Man.
Many
spectators think you will be good enough to beat NXL teams...
We will see.
You think that you'll wait for
the World Cup in Orlando, or try to go to the States before?
These questions should be asked to our manager and coaches.
And on a personal note, do you like X-Ball?
Yes, it is the best format for spectators and so we can promote
our sponsors in the best possible way.
Talking
about sponsorship, what do you think of your new marker, the
Intimidator?
Our new marker is awesome. We will improve the handling and
change some minor parts, expect to see the brand new Russian
Legion Intimidator in 1-2 months on the shelves.
 Things
you like and things you hate?
I like fishing and I hate injustice.
What
kind of fishing?
I don't fish in the ocean, I go for freshwater fishes. When
I was a young boy, I started this hobby with my father.
Do you fish in winter as well?
Sometimes we drill holes in the ice on frozen lakes and rivers.
It is very cold to sit calmly around these holes, especially
when the wind is blowing. Many ice fishers drink vodka to keep
themselves comfortable. Actually, I prefer fishing in more normal
conditions.
You have a favorite spot where
you go all the time?
The best fishing grounds are in the south of Russia, on the
Caspian Sea. South of Astrakhan there is a delta, where the
river Volga reaches the Caspian Sea. There are large protected
reservations there, ideal for private fishing, but you have
to be careful about mosquitoes.
Back home in Moscow, the weight of captured fishes is not my
major concern, I fish because it relaxes me.
INSER
"When I finished school in 1994, I
applied for the KGB Academy. Three days of examinations and
tests, both academically and medically followed. In the end
I missed by one point in Russian language."
"Oh
yeah, I practiced a lot of different sports. I was in a designated
sports school, where they selected athletes for the national
Olympic reserve. I played volleyball, soccer, basketball and
did some swimming."
"If someone owed the
bank some money, me and my team got send out and reminded them
on their paying duties."
"We have specialized
medical personnel and the best and the most prominent doctors
look after us regularly. The club pays for these expenses, but
we have to adhere to the orders of the doctors very strictly."
Comments
 |
 |
|
VIP |
| "Russian Legion Kick Ass, I hope they will be the best team in 2005 the deserve it." | paintbob
17/03/05 at 04:48
 | |
|
 |
 |
|
|
| |
|
world Book
