Georgian national judo team will start competition at World championships in 1/8 final against Great Britain.  In the first day of the two-day tournament ongoing in the city of Brazil, Salvador De Baya, women competed and men will compete tomorrow.
Traditionally, Georgia is represented with men team. Irakli Tsirekidze new manager of the team team took new team for this tournament. Lasha Shavdatuashvili, Betkil Shukvani, Ambako Avaliani, Levan Tsiklauri Zviad Khanjaliashvili and Adam Okruashvili will miss this tournament due to injuries, personal problems and ignoring joint trainings.
In comparison with individual championship, championship is held in 5 weight categories instead of seven: 66, 73, 90 and +90. Winner team is found out according to the result in these five categories.
According to the preliminary plan, there had to be 16 participants at the tournament, but China and Venezuela miss the tournament. France the current champion of the world and Brazil finalist of world champion are seeded as the first-second seed and they will fight in the different draws.
Georgian national team is in the draw where France is. Georgian and French roads crosses each other in semi-final, but before that it is necessary Tsirekidze’s team to beat two rival teams. In case of beating Britain, Japan or Uzbekistan will play against us.
World team championship has been held since 1994. The first three tournaments used to be held every four year. Since 2006 it is held every year, it was not held only in 2009.
Georgian national team competed at world team championships twice: in 2006 and 2008. Once it lost in final (2002 year, with Japan). As for championship, Japan set records, it won this following tournament four times (1998, 2002, 2007 and 2010), like France and Georgia, it has two gold medals (1994 and 2011). Besides these teams, none of the team has never won the tournament.

Finally, the staff of Georgian team at this tournament:

66 kg –  Shalva Kardava
73 kg –Nugzar Tatalashvili and Zebeda Rekhviashvili
81 kg –Avtandil Chrikashvili
90 kg –Varlam Liparteliani
+90 kg –Levan Matiashvili

Otar Maglakelidze