A ceremony honouring Tbilisi’s athletes was held, organised by the Tbilisi City Hall’s Department of Culture, Education, Sports and Youth Affairs.
This year, 231 athletes were recognised for their achievements across various sports. Winners of European and World Championships received cash prizes and symbolic awards from the City Hall.
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze attended the event alongside Deputy Mayor Irakli Bendeliani and addressed the gathering.
“I am proud to stand before you as Mayor of Tbilisi and a passionate supporter of sport. My own past is closely linked to sports. The recent years have seen historic achievements that united the Georgian nation and brought joy and success to our country. Today, we honour those who have achieved exceptional results at the World and European Championships, some for the first time in our history. We are also recognising five women’s teams and an amputee football team,” said Kaladze.
Kaladze emphasised that the Tbilisi City Hall actively supports sports development through various programmes, considering it a key priority.
“Personally, I aim to inspire others to lead healthy, active lives. Not everyone needs to be a professional athlete, but living a sporty, healthy lifestyle is vital for our well-being. We will continue to promote all sports, thanks to initiatives by the central government and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, who is a strong supporter of sport. Infrastructure projects and incentive programmes have been crucial in achieving our recent success, and we must keep working in this direction,” the mayor added.
Kaladze expressed gratitude to the athletes and wished them ongoing success.
“I wish each of you the best. I am confident that the coming years will bring even greater achievements for our country, and that you will make the Georgian people proud many times over. Remember, your success is not only personal or familial; it’s a victory for our nation. Thank you for all you do. Know that you have a very big fan in me,” he said.
During the event, awards were given in five categories. The titles of Best Tbilisi Male Athlete of the Year went to Sandro Bazadze; Best Female Athlete to Eter Liparteliani; Best Male Para-Athlete to Giorgi Kaldani; Best Female Para-Athlete to Nino Tibilashvili; and the Best Project of the Year was awarded to the “Tbilisi School League.”
Since 2018, this awards ceremony has celebrated successful Tbilisi athletes. To date, 931 athletes have been honoured. The programme’s budget this year is GEL 1,297,000.