"Sokhumi" Sokhumi is one of those teams which is fighting for the semifinal of Georgian 20th Basketball Championship. "Sokhumi" is one point behind of MIA, "Kutaisi-2010", TSU, "Energy Invest" (the 2nd-5th places) and finished the first circle of the current championship with the 6th place.
Here is an interview with head coach of "Sokhumi" Vaja Kvaratskhelia.

- "Sokhumi" is stronger team now than it was several years ago (Lasha Pargalava, Carl and Richard Damus) and is one of the favorites of the current championship. Who played a great role in it?
- It is a merit of a 41-year-old Georgian businessman Mindia Gulua, a new owner of "Sokhumi", who lives in Moscow. Gulua has business in other European countries. He is my friend. We fought together in Abkhazia. He is from Sokhumi, like me. He has a mother, wife and 3 children. His father is buried in Sokhumi. His goal is to return to Sokhumi. Gulua is heading an organization - "For Georgia". He is a patriot of his country and does a lot of good things for Georgia. He met Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II in Germany while the patriarch was having a treatment and promised him to build church in Georgia. He loves basketball very much and that is why he decided to finance "Sokhumi". The goal of "Sokhumi" management is to go through the semifinal of Georgian 20th Basketball Championship and to participate in European tournament.
- "Sokhumi" has the most legionaries from the participant teams of the current championship. Are you going to add any other player?
- We have a new player. It is a 22-year-old Zviad Antadze, forward of GTU, who is brought up by "Sokhumi" basketball school. Another forward Levan Patsatsia will join us at the end of April. He is playing for "Troy" University in the USA and spends 30-40 minutes on the field. As for legionaries, perhaps, Michael McCary will return to "Sokhumi". We are not going to add a new legionary.
- Are you satisfied with the current staff of "Sokhumi"?
- "Sokhumi" held a meeting later than other participant teams of the current championship. Lasha Pargalava, one of the leaders, and Irakli Sordia, captain of "Sokhumi", had injury. I am satisfied with American legionaries - Carl and Richard Damus and Eugene Harris.
- How do you estimate your result in the first circle?
- "Sokhumi" is one point behind those teams which are in the 2nd-5th places and we are in the 6th place. I am satisfied with this result. We will train and play better in the second circle.
- Are you going to hold a meeting for the second circle?
- On January 4-14, we will hold a 10-day meeting in the city of Turkey, Antalya. On January 8, 10 and 12, we will hold three friendly matches against Turkish Second League teams. After returning from Turkey, we will rest a little. On January 18, we will participate in Zurab Sakandelidze-Mikheil Korkia Memorial which will be held in the basketball gym of "Energy Invest" in Rustavi.


Roland Labuchidze