Georgian freestyle wrestling team will not gain prize money of World Cup which is for top 3. Yesterday, Georgian team wrestled on Makhachkala mat three times and lost all matches. The team which arrived in Dagestan without leaders of weight classes and head coach Zaza Turmanidze, lost against Azerbaijani, Iranian and Cuban teams with the same score – 2:5. It is a pity that reserve teams of other countries are stronger than Georgian one. Possibilities of the leaders will be showed at European Championship which will be held in Dortmund at the end of March.
Almost all strong teams were in subgroup with Georgia. In the second group, host Russia had weaker opponents – Kirgizstan, Uzbekistan, Bulgaria and Ukraine. Russia beat all of them and went through the final. Leader of Georgian group will be found out in the last round. Today, Cubans and Iranians will wrestle against each other. The team of Davit Khurtsia and Davit Otiashvili will fight for the 7th place.
Eight Georgian wrestlers arrived in Makhachkala. It would be better if each weight class had 2-2 wrestlers. Georgian team has 2 wrestlers in heavyweight class (Giorgi Sakandelidze and Levan Berianidze).
Shalva Muziashvili (66 kg) got injury in the first round and because of not having substitution zero was written in the gap of Georgian team.
Muziashvili was injured while wrestling against Azerbaijani Hagan Suleymanov. Before that, Besik Gochashvili (55 kg) and Malkhaz Kurdiani (60 kg) wrested on the mat and lost. Georgian team could not gain points against Iran and Cuba. Gela Sagirashvili (74 kg) and Beka Chelidze (84 kg) lost their fights. Davit Kerashvili (96 kg) and Giorgi Sakandelidze (96 kg) gained points of prestige. While wrestling against Iran, Sagirashvili and Chelidze achieved victory, Kerashvili and Berianidze lost.
Today, the 4th round matches will be held. Georgian team will wrestle against joint team of Hungary and Kazakhstan. Cuba – Iran. Then… all participants will have to hold last decisive matches.
Prize money of World Cup is 240 000 USD. Champion will gain 100 000 USD. The second and the third placed teams will gain 60 000 and 40 000 USD.
On the first day of World Cup, titled legionaries of F.C. “Anzhi” visited Ali Aliyev gym in Makhachkala. Brazilian Roberto Carlos, captain of the club, was among them.
Otar Maglakelidze
