Georgian Athletes Won 145 Medals on International Area This Year
The Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Georgia Mikheil Chkhenkeli, within the framework of the "Government Report to Citizens", briefed the public on the results achieved in the field of sports in 2020, spoke about the importance of mass sports development and preparation for the Tokyo Olympics.
Mikheil Chkhenkeli: “The number of medals won at international tournaments in various sports is growing every year. Despite the pandemic, this year Georgian athletes won 145 medals on the international arena, including 43 gold. "
Since 2012, the ever-growing sports budget has become a prerequisite for the great success that Georgian athletes have achieved on the international arena. The strong financial support of sports organizations has brought Georgia hundreds of medals in various sports, international tournaments, European and world championships. In 2019, there was a record number of medals, a total of 1258, including 473 gold.
Mikheil Chkhenkeli noted that in the coming years Georgia will host high-ranking international tournaments, namely the European Basketball Championship, the World Championship in freestyle skiing and snowboarding, the European Under-21 Football Championship and the European Winter Youth Championship. Since 2012, our country has hosted numerous international tournaments in various sports, European and world championships. Georgia has earned the trust of the leaders of international sports federations, which has led to the right to host major sporting events. In recent years, the European Championship in Judo, Wrestling, Weightlifting, the final match of the European Super Cup in football and the World Championship among rugby players under 20 were held in Georgia. As well as European Championships in water polo, boxing, handball and many other high ranking tournaments.
The development of sports infrastructure has become a subject of special concern of the government. Numerous international standard gyms and arenas have been built in Tbilisi and the regions, and this process continues today. The construction of the Tbilisi paracenter is planned and will start in January. Parasport development is also a priority.
At the end of the presentation, Mikheil Chkhenkeli singled out the Tokyo Olympics, for which Georgian athletes are actively preparing. The Minister wished them a successful competition and noted that the Olympians have and will continue to have the full support and assistance of the Ministry and the state as a whole.
It is noteworthy that at this stage there are licensed tournaments on which tickets to the Tokyo Olympics are to be drawn. The ministry is awaiting licenses for the Summer Olympics in traditional sports: judo, freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling, weightlifting, fencing, trampoline jumping, shooting and gymnastics.