Judokas will start a new season of 2011 in Baku on January 15-16. They will compete in World Judo Masters. Prize money of Masters which is considered as the most prestigious tournament after Olympiad and World Championship is 200 000 USD and only the best judokas participate in it - 16-16 best judokas of the world. 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. It proves prestigiousness of Masters. The most important for organizators is not quantity of participants but their class. Champion of Masters will get 400 rating points and 6 000 USD. We remind you that prize money of Grand Slam is 5 000 USD and of Grand Prix - 4 000 USD.
Masters 2010 was held in the city of South Korea, Suwon. There were talks that Koreans would host the tournament again but from time to time information about presumable candidates was spread. It was about more successful and authoritative cities than Baku. Lately, a lot of money has been invested in sport in Azerbaijan. Judo is not an exception and winning a right to host Masters is a great success.
5 Georgian judokas will wrestle on Baku tatami. Two judokas from the team of Soso Liparteliani will wrestle in 60 kg. These judokas are Amiran Papinashvili and Davit Asumbani. Papinashvili is in the 11th place of world ranking with 560 points. Asumbani is in the 16th place with 482 points. Georgia will not have participants in 66 and 73 kg. Georgian judokas are beyond top 30 in these weight classes. Levan Tsiklauri will wrestle in 81 kg. He is in the 13th place with 528 points. Valeri Liparteliani will wrestle in 90 kg with 684 points. He is the 9th place. Levan Jorjoliani will compete in 100 kg (564 points and the 12th place).
Heavyweight Zviad Khanjaliashvili was close to the goal but he finished 2010 with the 21st place and he is left beyond Baku tournament. He was in the 18th place about a month and half ago. He could have kept the rating if not his injury which made him miss Tokyo Grand Slam in December.
Three members from Georgian team which is leaving for Azerbaijan participated in Masters last year. Amiran Papinashvili, Varlam Liparteliani and Levan Jorjoliani wrestled on South Korean tatami. Jorjoliani managed to win bronze medal. Papinashvili and Liparteliani lost the tournament in the first stage.
After Baku Masters, there are 5 international tournaments in the tournament schedule of International Judo Federation. These tournaments are considered as a preparation stage for regional championships of continents. The first of them is Tbilisi World Cup which will be held on January 29-30. Then Paris Grand Slam will be held on February 5-6, Budapest World Cup - on February 12-13, Diuseldorf Grand Prix - on February 19-20, Prague World Cup - on February 26-27. Men and women will participate in Grand Slam and Grand Prix. They will compete in World Cups separately. For example, Sofia will host women's tournament along with Tbilisi.



Otar Maglakelidze