It is like a tradition, that Georgian Wrestling Championships are always held with disorderliness. Yesterday Georgian Freestyle Wrestling Championship started at Digomi Judo Academy. But many violations have already been made. If the second day of the championship will be held perfectly, it will not improve the total negative assessment.
Georgian Wrestling Federation made a decision to hold the championship at Shota Chochishvili Judo Academy several weeks ago. It was obvious, that the gym which can contain only about 1000 spectators would not be enough for everyone.
Even judokas did not hold the championship at their own gym and held in at Sports Palace. Wrestlers did not have money for Sports Palace and they chose Digomi Academy. Unfortunately, they did not think about possible mess, otherwise they would have taken minimum safety measures at least.
It was impossible to find a free seat on tribunes at 11:00. Hundreds of people watched the championship on arena. Some spectators almost showed up in the zone of wrestling. An announcer joked that they could wrestle. Not wrestling but a fight broke out.
It was obvious that tense would reach its culmination. Coaches who were not satisfied with refereeing threw things on the arena and then gathered at all three cameras to discuss video records of questionable episodes. Malkhaz Jorbenadze, general secretary of the federation and international referee, had a lot of work. His word was decisive in almost all cases.
The situation got tense at the match between Malkhaz Kurdiani and Giorgi Baliashvili. They were fighting for the third place of 60 kg. The decision of referee was discussed for a long time. General secretary of the federation noticed the mistake of referee and changed the decision. This made fans of Kurdiani angry. They started swearing and fighting. Nestor Khergiani, one of the coaches of judo team, who was attending the championship got involved in fighting and he physically assaulted Malkhaz Jorbenadze. Fighting ended up soon but perhaps, this incident will have a continuation. According to Gia Galdava, chairman of sport department of Sport and Youth Affairs, the ministry would punish Khergiani for his behavior.
As for the match between Kurdiani and Baliashvili, it lasted for a long time and ended up when international referee Edisher Machaidze declared Baliashvili as a winner. This match lasted for an hour but the record was beat in other match. Koba Kakaladze and Ilia Khutsishvili were wrestling against each other in the 1/8 final of 66 kg. Khutsishvili won the match but coach of Kakaladze did not agree with the decision of referee. The video record did not help them and they made a decision to annul all points and the sportsmen started wrestling again. The tense match ended up with taking a ball from the sack. Fortune was on the side of Khutsishvili.
The first fight started at this match but spectators and representatives of Wrestling Federation calmed both sides down. There were no security guards in the gym.
As for wrestlings, the main match of the day was the final of 74 kg. Gela Sagirashvili and youth European and world champion Davit Khutsishvili wrestled against each other. The match finished after 2 periods with the victory of Khutsishvili. The young sportsman beat more experienced opponent. Before the final both wrestlers won over 5 opponents. 49 wrestlers participated in 74 kg.
As it was expected, Vladimir Khinchegashvili won in 55 kg. He beat Lasha Lomtadze in the final. The main opponent of Khinchegashvili Besik Guchashvili wrestled in 60 kg but he lost in the second circle. Malkhaz Zarkua and young Davit Berdznishvili wrestled in the final of this weight class. Before the final Berdznishvili beat two such opponents who were considered as favorites - Malkhaz Kurdiani and Giorgi Baliashvili. He could not win over Zarkua and took the second place.
Main favorite Otar Tushishvili did not participate in 66 kg. He stated in the conversation with "World Sport" that he had injury and would start wrestling in summer. Two less experienced sportsmen Tsotne Baramidze and Ilia Khutsishvili will start fighting for the main staff of European Championship. They wrestled in the final and Baramidze became a champion.
Now about one problem which can be easily solved but no one thinks about it. Only one man Tengiz Gambashidze registers all participants of qualifying wrap of Georgian wrestling tournaments with a pen. Also he provides tables which controls mattresses with papers filled with pens. He is the only source for the detail information and he also manages to provide journalists and other people with information. He does his duty well and maybe that's why the federation does not see the inevitability of computer schedules.
On November 26 champions and prize winners will be found out in 84, 96 and 120 kg. Preliminary matches will start at 12:00.

Freestyle Wrestling
Georgian Championship
Tbilisi, November 25

55 kg
1 Vladimir Khinchegashvili (Gori)
2 Lasha Lomtadze (Kutaisi)
3 Givi Davidovi (Sachkhere)
3 Giorgi Edisherashvili (Tbilisi)

60 kg
1 Malkhaz Zarkua (Adjara)
2 Davit Berdznishvili (Gori)
3 Beka Lomtadze (Kutaisi)
3 Giorgi Baliashvili (Gori)

66 kg
1 Tsotne Baramidze (Gori)
2 Ilia Khutsishvili (Tbilisi)
3 Koba Kakaladze (Adjara)
3 Mikheil Zarkua (Bolnisi)

74 kg
1 Davit Khutsishvili (Sagarejo)
2 Gela Sagirashvili (Tbilisi)
3 Paata Nozadze (Kutaisi)
3 Giorgi Marsagishvili (Kazbegi)


Otar Maglakelidze