Georgian judo team completed the first day of the international tournament in Oberwart (Austria) without medals. Today the wrestlers in 60, 66 and 73 kg weight categories were involved. Seven athletes wrestled on behalf of Georgia.
17-year-old Tamaz Kirakozashvili (73kg) wrestled better than others. He was involved from the second circle in the tournament and overcame Italian Enrico Parlatti in 2 minutes and a half. He also beat Canadian Arthur Margelidon and due this he made through to ¼ final, where he could do nothing against Brazilian Bruno Mendonsa and made through to repechage. Finally, Kirakozashvili took the 7th place.
In 73kg, besides Tamaz Kirakozashvili, Pridon Gigani and Zurab Nozadze also wrestled under the Georgian flag. Both of them started well, but they could not reach ¼ final.
Gigani overcame Portuguese Nuno Saraiva and Hungarian Gabor Karpaty by ippon and in the 1/8 final lost to Brazilian Alex Pombo da Silva. Nozadze lost to Japanese Takenori Nakamura. Before him, he overcame Romanian Dan George Fasie.
In 60 and 66 kg weight categories Georgia had 2-2 participants, but all of them lost in the initial stage. Giorgi Brolashvili, Paata Merebashvili (both 60kg) and Giorgi Kaldani (66kg) took part once.
Brolashvili opened and closed the tournament by facing Italian Carmin Maria di Loretto. Merebashvili got 4 shido in 4 minutes in the meeting with Dutch Kheroen Muuren. Kaldani lost to Dutch Junior Degen by waza-ari – Yuko.
Gela Kelikhashvili (66kg) overcame Jewish Bar Raufman in the first circle easily, but lost to Sedrik Besi of Monaco.
Members of Japanese team took the first place in all three weight categories. Champions and prize winners in remained 4 categories will be revealed tomorrow.
Eleven judokas will wrestle on behalf of Georgia. Among them is Zebeda Rekhviashvili, who will wrestle in 81 kg this time. Giorgi Papunashvili and Lasha Zuabian will also participate in the same weight category. Zviad Gogochuri and Paata Gviniashvili are in 90kg, Davit Loriashvili and Revaz Chikoidze in 100kg and in +100 – Rostom Khakhaleishvili, Giorgi Zakariadze, Giga Gelashvili and Onise Bugadze.
Judo
European Open Championship
Oberwart. Austria
February 15
60 kg
1 Rio Kavabata (Japan)
2 Felipe Kitadai (Brazil)
3 Juan Poshtigos (Peru)
3 Diego Santos (Brazil)
66 kg
1 Kengo Takaichi (Japan)
2 Batsuuri Adiia (Mongolia)
3 Yuhei Rokugo (Japan)
3 Rene Schneider (Germany)
73 kg
1 Takenori Nakamura (Japan)
2 Obdayar Ganbaatar (Mongolia)
3 Zelimkhan Ozdoev (Russia)
3 Alex Pombo da Silva (Brazil)
7 Tamaz Kirakozashvili (Georgia)
Otar Maglakelidze
