Georgian judo team will participate in the first international tournament of 2011 Baku Masters with 6 sportsmen. Heavyweight Zviad Khanjaliashvili was added to the official list yesterday.
Masters is considered as the most prestigious tournament after Olympiad and World Championship. Top 16-16 judokas of the world ranking participate in it. The 17th-18th-placed judokas are reserve sportsmen and they will get personal invitations if any member of the main list cannot wrestle. If more than two judokas cannot compete in Masters, then judokas below the 18th place are not allowed to participate in the tournament. Though, International Judo Federation has made an exception - Zviad Khanjaliashvili is in the 21st place of the ranking.
"Daniel Lascau, sports director of International Judo Federation, called and offered me that Zviad Khanjaliashvili could participate in Masters. He did not tell me the reason. Perhaps, some judokas from top 16 refused to leave for Azerbaijan. I talked to Soso Liparteliani, head coach of the team, and after I got his consent, I informed Lascau that Khanjaliashvili would be added to Georgian team" - stated Giorgi Aleksidze, acting president of Georgian Judo Federation, to "Sports News".
Baku Masters will be held on January 15-16 and Georgian team will compete with the following staff: heavyweight Khanjaliashvili, Amiran Papinashvili, Davit Asumbani (both 60 kg), Levan Tsiklauri (81 kg), Varlam Liparteliani (90 kg) and Levan Jorjoliani (100 kg). Papinashvili is in the 11th place of the world ranking, Asumbani - in the 16th place, Tsiklauri - in the 13th place, Liparteliani - in the 9th place and Jorjoliani - in the 12th place.
Prize money of the tournament is 200 000 USD. Champions will get 6-6 000 USD and 400-400 rating points.


Otar Maglakelidze