Integration through sport “When I water a plant, I expect it to grow.”
He spoke little German when he took up his studies at Ruhr University Bochum. But thanks to sport, Koshoi Sultanaliev managed to integrate quickly nonetheless.
When he first came to Bochum, he found things difficult at times, as Koshoi Sultanaliev writes in a long thank-you email to the Bochum University Sports Department. But in sport, none of that mattered, and so he made friends and learned the language.
Koshoi Sultanaliev initially came to Ruhr University Bochum from his home country of Kyrgyzstan to pursue his Bachelor’s degree. He’s currently studying for a Master’s degree at the Faculty of Economics and works in management consultancy.
Emotional email
For almost nine years, the martial artist was an instructor at the Bochum University Sports Department. We asked him what made him join university sports and what his former students will always remember about him.
You recently sent an emotional email to the Bochum University Sports Department. Why did you feel the need to do so?
Koshoi Sultanaliev: I felt grateful, plain and simple. And merely saying thank you wasn’t enough. The email was the only way I could communicate my affection and gratitude. It allowed me to express how important it was for me to be part of university sports.
Excerpts from the email to the University Sports Department
What attracted you to university sports when you came to Ruhr University Bochum some nine years ago?
Sultanaliev: I came to Germany from Kyrgyzstan on a foreign student visa. One of the conditions of the visa was that I was only allowed to work a maximum of 20 hours a week. That wasn’t enough for me to make ends meet.
A friend pointed me to the University Sports Department and I found out that the hours I work there are not counted as part of the maximum 20 hours.
You don’t need words in the gym.
Koshoi Sultanaliev
I’ve been doing martial arts since first grade. Until fifth grade, I practised Taekwondo. Here in Bochum, I boxed at PSV Bochum and also competed in a few tournaments.
Tell us what made working as an instructor at the university sports centre such a rewarding experience for you.
Sultanaliev: The fact that communication here doesn’t necessarily have to happen through words, but through interaction with the students. I didn’t speak much German at first.
But you don’t need words in the gym and we were all equal, regardless of our language skills.
What do you think will your former students will always remember about you?
Sultanaliev: I actually have a pretty good idea, because they gave me the perfect goodbye present: a plant.
I used to say from time to time in my course: “When I water a plant, I expect the plant to grow.” I asked my students to reflect briefly the morning after a course on what they had learnt in the course.
I enjoy it more when I see them grow. I feel it’s wasted energy if all they do in the course is sweat. They should also learn and grow.
I was always happy when I saw a student flourish. I would then support them specifically.
Interview with Christian Sendes