Guram Modebadze new head coach for Georgia

The Georgian Judo Federation finally found a successor for Irakli Tsirekidze as national head coach. Guram Modebadze will be announced after the National Championships at 27-28 December as new coach for Georgia. Modebadze is respected and coached many top athletes.

It took almost seven months to find the best candidate. After the disappointing European Championships head coach Tsirekidze stepped up as the Georgian team had no medal at all for the first time since the country competes at European level.

Modebadze led many pupils to the start of their international career such as Ilias Iliadis, Varlam Liparteliani, Avtandili Tchrikishvili, David Kevkhishvili, Lasha Gujejiani, Zaza Kedelashvili, Levan Zhorzholiani, Levan Tsiklauri, Betkil Shukvan, Lasha Bekauri and Onise Saneblidze. Modebadze is working at the Federation since 2002 and worked with all age categories. Modebadze was announced as best Georgian coach twice and was rewarded with a medal by the Georgian President. Also Tsirekidze will continue to assist the federation.

Modebadze is considered one of best coaches. In his dojo of his club Shevardeni also World Champion Guram Tushishvili trains. At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing four of all seven Georgian athletes competing were his personal athletes: Zaza Kedelashvili, David Kevkishvili, Levan Zhorzholiani and Lasha Gujejiani. In 2012 at the Olympic Games he also had four of his own athletes in the team with Betkil Shukvani, Avtandili Tchrikishvili, Varlam Liparteliani and Levan Zhorzholiani.

As an athlete he fought in the category U65kg mainly between 1987-1995 at international level. He won most tournaments were he competed such as the Matsutaro Shoriki Cup Tokyo in Japan in 1990, the Dutch Open in 1989. He was also Soviet champion  in 1990 and obviously won the international tournament in Tbilisi. He competed at the 1995 World Championships in Chiba. fighting U71kg where he lost to silver medallist Dae-Sung Kwak.