Beka Gviniashvili Wins European Cup after Georgian Final
By Tea Mariamidze
Tuesday, September 4
Famous Georgian judoka Beka Gviniashvili won the European Cup in Bratislava, Slovakia after defeating another Georgian judoka Avtandil Tchrikishvili U90kg.
The Georgian judokas were awarded gold and silver medals, respectively.
After winning the European Championships, Gviniashvili has now qualified for the World Championships to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan from on September 20-27.
Earlier, Beka Gviniashvili defeated Mohab El Nahas from Canada, while Tchrikishvili had a struggle with Roman Dontsov of Russia.
Now Georgia has to choose between Beka Gviniashvili and Avtandil Tchrikishvili, in the category U90kg, to send one of them for World Championships. Gviniashvili's victory will serve as an advantage for him.
Earlier in August, Tchrikishvili released a Facebook post, asking Judo Federation to send him to the World Championship. The sportsmen explained that he participated in the Grand Prix in Croatia, to have a healthy competition with those sportsmen who were considered to be among the world championship candidates.
Tchrikishvili says Gviniashvili did not take part in the Grand Prix in Hungary, where the third candidate Ushangi Margiani participated in qualifying for the world championships.
“Margiani and I had good results at the competitions, and we deserved to be sent to the World Championships, but Gviniashvili does not as he has not taken part in the competitions…Despite this, the coaches decided he will also qualify which is unfair. I am ready to meet him in Bratislava and let the best candidate win,” Tchrikishvili wrote on August 15.
The Georgian Judo Federation will soon choose which judoka to send to the World Championships in Baku – Tchrikishvili or Gviniashvili.
