Next year Tbilisi Sports Palace will host prestigious judo tournament – Grand Prix. Today a special memorandum was signed at Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs. Levan Kipiani, minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, Davit Kevkhishvili, president of Georgian Judo Federation, and Marius Vizer, president of the International Judo Federation, signed the document.

The sides signed another important document as well. It deals with teaching judo at Georgian schools. According to the project, IJF will provide the Georgian regions with judo inventories. Coaches who will work in the regions will receive monthly salary during a year.

Current and veteran titled sportsmen attended the ceremony. The following comments were made:

“I am very happy to be here. You have one of the oldest strongest judo schools in the world. It is good that judo is progressed in this country. New project will increase its popularity. Role of the country is important. After today’s meeting I am sure that judo is supported in Georgia. Georgian Grand Prix will be held on the first or third week of March. We will know exact date later. World’s best judokas will come to Georgia” – stated Marius Vizer.

Levan Kipiani thanked the guests for their attention toward the Georgian judo.

Marius Vizer, president of IJF, arrived in Tbilisi this morning. He met Georgian Prime Minister with the minister of Sport and Youth Affairs and the president of the federation. Later, Vizer will meet Tsotne Ebralidze, managing director of the Georgian Co-Investment Fund.

5 Grand Prixes are held during the season. Champion earns 300 ranking points. Silver and bronze medal winners gain 180 and 120 points.

Otar Maglakelidze