After Christmas and New Year holidays, Georgian basketball season 2011 will start with Zurab Sakandelidze-Mikheil Korkia Memorial on January 18. Rustavi will host the tournament. After the end of the mentioned tournament, Cup of Georgia will be held from January 26 till February 1. This tournament will also take place in Rustavi.
Today, ballot of the mentioned tournaments were held at Tbilisi Sports Palace.
"Army", "Kutaisi-2010" and "Batumi" from Super League refused to participate in Sakandelidze-Korkia Memorial. 8 teams will compete in it. These teams are: MIA, "Kutaisi-2010", TSU, "Energy Invest", "Sokhumi", Samedicino, GTU and "Dinamo". The mentioned teams will be divided into 2 4-team groups. Winners of the group will go through the final and will fight for the main prize on January 23. Participant teams of the memorial are divided into sub-groups this way:
Group A: MIA, TSU, GSAU, Samedicino
Group B: "Energy Invest", "Dinamo", "Sokhumi", GTU
Schedule of group tournament:
January 18
MIA - GSAU 12:00
TSU - Samedicino 14:00
"Energy" - "Dinamo" 16:00
"Sokhumi" - GTU 18:00
January 19 is a day off (Epiphany)
January 20
MIA - Samedicino 12:00
GSAU - TSU 14:00
"Energy" - GTU 16:00
"Dinamo" - "Sokhumi" 18:00
January 21
GSAU - Samedicino 12:00
"Dinamo" - GTU 14:00
"Energy" - "Sokhumi" 16:00
MIA - TSU 18:00
January 23
Final - 16:00
Basketball gym of "Energy Invest" will host the matches of the memorial.
Unlike Dudu Dadiani and Zurab Sakandelidze Memorials, teams of Super League have to participate in the national Cup. So, all 11 teams of Super League will compete in the 8th national cup 2011. The tournament will be held by Olympic system. Those teams which took I-VII places after the first circle of Georgian 20th national championship ("Army", MIA, "Kutaisi-2010", TSU, "Energy Invest", "Sokhumi" and Samedicino), will play in the 1/4 final. As for "Batumi", GSAU and "Dinamo" which are in IX-XI places, these teams will fight for the last one place.
"Tbilaviamsheni" won Georgian Cup once, "Basko", "Dinamo", GTU, TSU-"Nikora", "Energy Invest" and GSAU won twice. "Basko" and "Tbilaviamsheni" do not exist anymore. Other teams have the second chance to win the tournament.
Qualifying matches of the last one place
January 26, semifinal
1. GTU - "Batumi" 12:00
2. "Dinamo" - GSAU 14:00
January 27, final
winner of I - winner of II 14:00
1/4 final of Cup
1. "Army" - "Sokhumi" 12:00
2. MIA - Samedicino 14:00
2. "Energy" - TSU 16:00
4. "Kutaisi-2010" - winner of the qualifying 18:00
January 30
Semifinal
1. IV-II 16.00
2. III-I 18.00
February 1
Final - 17.00
Final of Georgian Cup will be held at Tbilisi Sports Palace. Other matches will be held at "Energy Invest" gym in Rustavi.
Roland Labuchidze
