Open letter to Levan Kipiani, Leri Khabelov, Zviad Sichinava, Kakha Kaladze, Temur Chkhaidze, Lasha Mindeli…
At least 10 football pitches disappeared in Tbilisi for 10 years! It means 2 000 children gave up playing football! This tendency does not stop and it is not excluded that the same will happen in Rustavi: football school “Shevardeni” which is situated in the center of Rustavi will be replaced with hotel or supermarket…
Malkhaz Bolkvadze, player of “Dinamo” Tbilisi, formed this school in 2000. I have been loving Malkhaz for 25 years! He did not distinguish himself in “Dinamo”. He was a good forward but played only one match against “Dinamo” Moscow. I love Malkhaz because he did not forgive rudeness to “killer” of Georgians Makhovikov who was injured so much that ended up career! Makhovikov injured Kipiani and Gutsaev so many times that like me, many blessed Bolkvadze that night…
Bolkvadze was a good man. He formed football school “Shevardeni” in the center of Rustavi and 650 children practiced at that school. I got know him and with my help he was invited to Danish and Swedish football tournaments. “Shevardeni” took the first place there. Their forward Beka Zakradze was named as the best football player of the Danish tournament! Bolkvadze had two small pitches and wanted to take loan from bank to build two good pitches. 1000 children would go in for football and to play 11X11! But somebody wants to build supermarket (hotel or market) there. They told Bolkvadze to sell it and to build something profitable!
Is it surprising to close football pitches in our country? Who will we compete? Countries where pitches are open (not closed – open!) and number of children in football increase? Then, we are surprised why Azerbaijani “Neftchi” is better than us and got in Europa League…
On the stadium of 35th school where Meskhi, Kotrikadze, Iamanidze, Kaloev, Kipiani, Gutsaev, Machaidze, Chivadze, Khinchagashvili and other stars were brought up – market is open! Blocks of flats are built on the field of Vake students’ city, like Avlabari stadium, “Sinatle” and “Shevardeni”, “Norchi Dinamoeli”. Where will we grow up football players???
P.S. That is why I applied to the abovementioned misters. You must stop destroying Georgian stadiums!!!
Mamuka Kvaratskhelia
