In recent days, the events that happened in the Georgian Wrestling Federation overwhelmed almost every sporting event in Georgia. The divergence was caused due to the dismiss of the coaching staff of freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling teams by Luka Kurtanidze (the president of Georgian Wrestling Federation, European and World champion in freestyle wrestling and winner of the Olympic Games). The situation worsened so that a part of the Georgian wrestling school (freestyle, Greco-Roman) requested a new presidential elections. That’s when the National Wrestling Federation has a chance to host World Championship 2016 among youth for the first time.

“World Sport” talked to Luka Kurtanidze about the above matters.

-Is it finally decided that Georgia will host the World Championship 2016 among youth or we are still mentioned as a candidate?

-6 days ago, we received approval from the World Wrestling Federation, which will send the commission in Georgia in order to study our willingness for the World Championship 2016 among youth. We have already paid an appropriate amount for the commission and we expect them in the near future.

-What should the commission do concretely?

-First of all, we have to reaffirm our desire and mood to host the World Championship 2016. Then inspection of the bases, hotels, transport and other relatively minor aspects follow. If we host this Championship, it will be a great honor for us and premise to host the World Championship of the main teams in future.

-Did Georgia have a competitor in hosting the World Championship 2016?

-Of course it was. Paris (France) was the competitor of Georgia, which withdrew its candidature for the beginning and expressed the willing to host the Championship in 2017.

-When will be clear the name of the host city of the World Championship 2016 among youth in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling?

-During the Olympic Championship 2015 in Baku, Azerbaijani. I can tell you that Tbilisi will host the Championship by 99%.

-If Tbilisi has no competitor why 99 and not 100 %?

-The hindering reason may become those people, who are willing to speak the language of ultimatum and make a mess in the Wrestling Federation. Such approach can threat the holding the mentioned championship in Tbilisi.

- Could you please once again remind us the reason of dismissal of the main coaches of Georgian National Team Revaz Mindorashvili (Freestyle Wrestling) and Begi Darchia (Greco-Roman Wrestling) that caused a divergence?

-The main reason of their dismissal was their bad work. Georgian Greco-Roman team has not won any medals for these two years. Not to say anything about a medal, they even could not make through the top ten of the last championship. Besides a bad result, there was a bad discipline in the team as well. Due to the wrong decision of the main coach, several sportsmen undeservedly stayed beyond the team. For example Kobiashvili, who is a very prospective, beat two world champions in several tournaments before the world championship, but in spite of this he stayed beyond the team.

No one can say that the teams did not have conditions for preparation before the championship. During the last year, including the age teams, totally six teams held 50 meetings and 1 612 000 GEL were spent for it. You will agree that for such small country as Georgia is, it is not small amount of money. Instead of searching a solution, a part of wrestlers and coaches demanded my dismissal. It happens when the budget of the federation has increased up to half million GEL for year and 9 months since I have been a president of federation. Honorarium for the successful sportsmen and coaches has increased as well. For example, Olympic champion - 175, world champion – 85 and European champion will receive 52000 GEL. The coach who will train the champion separately will receive half amount of honorarium, which is for the champion. If I had such honorarium, when I was a sportsman, I would be a millionaire now.

-What honorarium you used to get for championship?

-In 2001, when I became the European champion for the fourth time, I received 1 500 GEL.

-Lets go back again to the issue of the former coaches of the team… What was the reason of Mindorashvili’s dismissal? Khinchegashvili one of the members of his team became a vice-champion of the world.

-In comparison with Darchia, I have less complains with Mindorashvili, but I am not satisfied with his work too. If not the carelessness of the coaching staff, Khinchegashvili would become a world champion.

-Is it possible Darchia and Mindorashvili to return to their positions due to the current problems?

-It is excluded because others are appointed on their positions. Mindorashvili was replaced by an experienced coach Nugzar Skhireli and Darchia by the world former champion Mikheil Saladze.

-What are your plans with the dismissed coaches?

-Mindorashvili is among rare sportsmen who won Olympiad, besides European and world championships. According to this, if Mindorashvili wants to use his experience and energy in wrestling again, I offer him the post of vice-president in federation. As for Darchia, no one prohibits him to work as a coach.

-The opposition blames you in making willful decisions…

-I advice them to read regulations of Georgian National Wrestling Federation and after this express their opinions.

-Appointing Skhireli as a coach of freestyle team is understandable. He grew up several successful sportsmen. What about Saladze? It is true that he was a good sportsman, but he does not have a big experience as a coach.

-Saladze is a former champion of the world. He used to work in law enforcement structure for a long time and this means a lot. As I have already mentioned, the discipline is weak almost in every team. According to this, his main duty will be to solve this problem. If we take into our account that his assistants will be experienced coaches Otar Tatishvili and Temur Abkhazava, I do not think the main coach will face problems.

- Most of the sportsmen protested and refused from training. Their demand is an extraordinary presidential election. If the wrestlers do not stop protesting, what the current leadership of the federation will do?

-Georgian freestyle and Greco-Roman style wrestlers’ family does not include only Tbilisi. The sportsmen from regions do not join this protest and continue training. The new coaches of the teams will work on the calendar for 2015, plan the Georgian championship and who wins, will play for the team.

Those, who will talk with the language of ultimatum, can find themselves in other sphere. Those people who have not won even Georgian championship join the opposition as well. They try to become popular with such way. I will refrain from naming these people.

In spite of a big assault towards me, I forgive everyone and offer them to work together for our country.

Roland Labuchidze