Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs has named a rugby player as the best sportsman of the country for the second time. Last year, Davit Zirakashvili won this title. On Wednesday, Mamuka Gorgodze was named as the best sportsman at the awarding ceremony of 2011. Managers of different sports federations, veteran and current sportsmen, representatives of government and media attended the ceremony. Otar Giorgadze, sports correspondent of Georgian Public Broadcasting, hosted this evening.
Before the start of naming and awarding winners, Vladimer Vardzelashvili, minister of sport, estimated 2011 season. He mentioned success of basketball and rugby national teams. Also, he distinguished some wrestlers, archers and heavy athletes.
The first nomination was Top 10 of young sportsmen. One representative from each sport got into it. Here is Top 10: Meri Arabidze (chess), Slava Rezesidze (sambo), Shota Gogisvanidze (Greco-Roman wrestling), Beka Gviniashvili (judo), Tornike Shengelia (basketball), Davit Targamadze (football), Konstantine Mikautadze (rugby), Lasha Talakhadze (heavy athletics), Lasha Ghulelauri (athletics), Tamar Kakashvili and Nana Gogashvili (trampoline). Last two sportswomen won silver medals at World Championship.
Here is Top 10 of elders: Levan Kobiashvili (football), Zaza Pachulia (basketball), Kristine Esebua (archery), Gia Machavariani (heavy athletics), Davit Marsagishvili (freestyle wrestling), Irakli Tsirekidze (judo), Avtandil Tsintsadze (sambo), Genadi Kvikvinia (arm wrestling), Dimitri Basilaia (rugby), Revaz Lashkhi (Greco-Roman wrestling).
Igor Kokoskov and Richard Dixon, coaches of national basketball and rugby teams, were named as the best coaches. Edisher Machaidze (wrestling), Vladimer Nutsubidze (judo) and Maka Kupatadze (basketball) were named as the best referees. The best managers were: Bacho Khurtsidze (rugby), Merab Ratishvili (basketball) and Artem Sanishvili (archery).
Nikoloz Tvauri, world bronze medal winner in swimming, became the best sportsman in ParaOlympics. Freestyle wrestler Vladimer Khinchegashvili was named as the best young sportsman. Georgian national basketball team became the best team.
Culmination of the ceremony was the main nomination – the best sportsman of Georgia. Before the announcement of winner, the best moments of Georgian national rugby union team at Rugby World Cup were showed on monitor. It was obvious that one of “The Lelos” would become the best sportsman. It was Mamuka Gorgodze!
Otar Maglakelidze
