Amiran Papinashvili, member of Georgian judo team, started the license stage of the Olympic Games 2016 well. The Georgian wrester (60kg) won the title at Grand Prix, which started in Havana yesterday, and earned 300 ranking points.
Papinashvili hold four meetings at the golden road and won all four convincingly. The Georgian, who is in the 2nd place in the World’s ranking, has been involved from the 1/8 final, where he overcame American Aaron Kunihiro in two minutes and a half. Then he won over Swiss Ludovic Chammartin by yuko and wazari.
In semifinal overcame Jewish Artiom Arshanski at the 4th minute. In the decisive battle won over Brazilian Eric Takabatake in a minute.
On the first day of 3-day tournament the medals were awarded in 66kg weight category, but Georgia had not representatives.
Today champions and prize winners will be found out in 73 and 81 kg. Nugzar Tatalashvili, Lasha Shavdatuashvili (both 73kg), Avtandil Chrikishvili and Ushangi Margiani (both 81kg) will fit kimono among the members of Irakli Uznadze’s team.
Tatalashvili will be involved in the tournament from the 1/8 final and will face Luis Vega of Argentina. Shavdatuashvili will start from the first circle by competing with Puerto Rican Augusto Miranda. Chrikishvili will begin from the 1/8 final and will face the winner among Colombian Pedro Castro and Mexican Jonathan Espadas and as for Margiani, his opponent will be Mexican German Ayala in 1/16 final.
Varlam Liparteliani, Beka Gviniashvili (both 90kg), Adam Okruashvili and Levan Matiashvili (both +100kg) will wrestle on June 8. In these weights the Georgian team was not lucky. The Georgian wrestlers got into one side and there paths intersects in semifinal. Before it... Liparteliani will face the winner among Cuban Andy Granda and Serbian Aleksandar Kukolj in 1/8 final, Slovenian David Kukovica and Lebanese Nacif Elias are the expected opponents of Gviniashvili. Okruashvili will start from the ¼ final by facing the winner among British Christopher Sherrington and Cuban Arlendy Morales. Matiashvili will fight against Ramon Pileta of Honduras in 1/8 final.
Varlam Liparteliani and Adam Okruashvili will be No.1 seeded at Havana Grand Prix.
Judo
Havana Grand Prix
June 6
Men
60 kg
1 Amiran Papinashvili (Georgia)
2 Eric Takabatake (Brazil)
3 Ashley Mckenzie (Great Britain)
3 Ludovic Chammartin (Switzerland)
66 kg
1 Mikhail Pulyaev (Russia)
2 Sugoi Uriarte (Spain)
3 Patrick Gagne (Canada)
3 Alim Gadanov (Russia)
Otar Maglakelidze
