Georgian judo team finished the first international tournament of the season World Masters without a medal. On January 15-16, the strongest judokas of the world wrestled on Baku tatami. Participants were invited individually to the tournament (prize money 200 000 USD). 6 Georgian judokas were in the list but none of them managed to stand on the pedestal.
Today, champions and prize winners of 81, 90, 100 and +100 kg were found out. Levan Tsiklauri (81 kg), Varlam Liparteliani (90 kg), Levan Zhorzholiani (100 kg) and Zviad Khanjaliashvili (+100 kg) wrestled on tatami. None of them went through the second circle. Tsiklauri (the 13th place at world ranking) wrestled only for 2 minutes and half against Japanese Takahiro Nakai (the 8th) and then was beat by ippon. Zhorzholiani (the 12th) lost against Azerbaijani Elmar Gasimov (the 33rd). The match between Khanjaliashvili (the 21st) and Japanese Keiji Sudzuki finished draw and according to the decision of referees, Sudzuki was declared as a 1/4 finalist.
Hantei left Varlam Liparteliani without a medal. Georgian judoka who is in the 9th place at World ranking started participation in the tournament with beating Khurshid Nabiev (the 11th). 2-time European silver medal winner Georgian beat his opponent by ippon 1 second before the final siren. In the 1/4 final, Liparteliani wrestled against Azerbaijani Elkhan Mamadov (the 7th) and after the main and added time finished draw, referees decided to declare Mamadov as a semifinalist. In spite of that Varlam could not win medal, he will improve his personal rating with 80 points.
On the first day of Masters - on January 15 - champions and prize winners of 60, 66 and 73 kg were found out among men. The following Georgian judokas wrestled on tatami: Amiran Papinashvili (the 11th) and Davit Asumbani (the 16th) but both of them lost on the first stage of the tournament.
Amiran Papinashvili started competing in Baku World Masters with beating Italian Elyo Verde. Georgian sportsman awarded yoko and went through quarter final. Due to going through the 1/4 final he automatically gained 80 rating points. With going through the semi-final he would gain 160 points, but he could not manage to beat World Champion Rishod Sobirov of Uzbekistan. Finally, Papinashvili took the 5th place.
Davit Asumbani who is on the 16th place in world rating won over European champion Arsen Galstyan of Russia with awarding ippone at the 5th minutes. Galstyan wrestled against two opponents after Asumbani and he gained 240 rating points with going through the final. Champion in this weight category became Siborov, who beat Papinashvili. He gained 400 rating points and awarded with 6 000 USD.
There were not Georgian participants in 66 and 73 weight classes. Tsagaanbaatar Hashbaatar of Mongolia became champion in 66 weight class as for champion in 73rd class, Ki –Chu Vang of South Korea won over Russian Mansur Isaev and became champion.
On January 29-30, Tbilisi Sports Palace will host the next international tournament World Cup.


Judo
World Masters
Baku. January 15

Men
60 kg
1 Rishod Sobirov (Uzbekistan)
2 Arsen Galstyan (Russia)
3 Ilgar Mushkiev (Azerbaijan)
3 Beslan Mudranov (Russia)

66 kg
1 Tsagaanbaatar Hashbaatar(Mongolia)
2 Rock Drashnic(Slovenia)
3 Sugoi Uriarte (Spain)
3 Tarlin Karimov (Azrebaijan)

73 kg
1 Ki-Chu Vang (South Korea)
2 Mnasur Isaev (Russia)
3 Iasuhiro Avano (Japan)
3 Atila Ungvar (Hungary)

81 kg
1 Elnur Mamadli (Azerbaijan)
2 Leandro Guilheiro (Brazil)
3 Ian Barton (Britain)
3 Takahiro Nakai (Japan)

90 kg
1 Elkhan Mamadov (Azerbaijan)
2 Ilias Iliadis (Greece)
3 Takashi Ono (Japan)
3 Kiril Denisov (Russia)

100 kg
1 Sergei Samoilovich (Russia)
2 Tigran Khaibulaev (Russia)
3 Temuulen Batulga (Mongolia)
3 Maksim Rakov (Kazakhstan)

+100 kg
1 Teddy Riner (France)
2 Islam El Shehab (Egypt)
3 Keiji Sudzuki (Japan)
3 Andreas Tolzer (Germany)

Women
48 kg
1 Haruna Asami (Japan)
2 Emy Iamagish (Japan)
3 Sara Menezesh (Brazil)
3 Eva Chernovic (Hungary)


52 kg
1 Misatro Nakamura (Japan)
2 Juka Nishida (Japan)
3 Laura Gomes (Spain)
3 Bundmaa Munkhbaatar (Mongolia)

57 kg
1 Telma Monteiro (Portugal)
2 Kairo Macumoto (Japan)
3 Konchepsion Belorin (Spain)
3 Ian-Di Kim (South Korea)

63 kg
1 Jevros Emane (France)
2 Soshi Ueno (Japan)
3 Yardin Gerby (Israel)
3 Claudia Malzan (Germany)

70 kg
1 Lus Dekos (France)
2 Ie Sul Hwang (South Korea)
3 Edith Bosch (Holland)
3 Ioriko Kunihara (Japan)

78 kg
1 Xiuli Yang (China)
2 Celin Lebrun (France)
3 Abigel Io (Hungary)
3 Akari Ogata (Japan)

+78 kg
1 Megumi Tachimoto (Japan)
2 Mika Sugimoto (Japan)
3 Lusia Polavder (Slovenia)
3 Na Young Kim (South Korea)


Otar Maglakelidze