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Georgian Technical University athletes

Today, Georgia occupies a worthy place on the world sports map – it is rightly proud of its Olympic, world and European champions and prize-winners.

Their list also includes the names of those titled athletes who received their education at the Georgian Technical University.

Rugby

One of the most successful sports is Georgian rugby. Our team has won the European Rugby Championship sixteen times. This courageous sport was born in our higher education institution, namely on October 15, 1959, when French immigrant Jacques Aspekian founded the first Georgian rugby club at the Georgian Polytechnic Institute.

Handball

Our handball players have written another page in the annals of national sports. In January 2024, they tried their hand at the final stage of the European Championship and won a historic victory in the group.

1962

In 1962, the first Soviet Union championship in seven-man handball was held. The championship was won by Tbilisi’s “Burevestnik”, which was mainly staffed by students from the Georgian Polytechnic Institute. Two years later, Georgian handball players again climbed to the top of the podium, taking three prize places. “Gepei’s”‘s Alexander Anpilogov won the Olympic championship in 1976 and the world championship in 1982, while Alexander Khutsishvili won the Universiade in 1968.

Basketball

The men’s and women’s basketball players of the Georgian Polytechnic Institute have written a name page in the history of Georgian sports.

Fencing

In the 90s of the last century, fencers from the Georgian Polytechnic Institute successfully competed. Veteran fencers who graduated from our university – Yuri Osipov, Moris Sakhvadze, Zurab Tskitishvili, Guram Jaiani and Givi Tsagareli, together with Archil Gogelia, built an international standard fencing hall in 2012, which was later transferred to the Georgian Fencing Federation.

Mountaineering

Representatives of the Georgian Polytechnic Institute have made a significant contribution to the centuries-old history of Georgian mountaineering. The mountaineering, tourism, skiing and rock climbing sports section of our higher education institution was established in the 1950s, where many generations of Georgian mountaineers were raised.

1999-2000

Among the notable ones are Beno Kashakashvili and Bidzina Gujabidze. On May 12, 1999, together with two Georgian climbers (A. Gigani, L. Sarkisov), they climbed the world’s highest peak, Qomolangma (8848 m). In 2000, together with G. Otarashvili, they conquered the world’s fourth highest peak, Lhotse.

Beno Kashakashvili
Bidzina Gujabidze

2022

In 2022, the Alpine Festival dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Georgian Technical University was successfully held on Mkinvartsveri, and today the GTU flag flies on the highest peak in Georgia (5054 m).

Olympic champions

Georgian Technical University is rightly proud of the Olympic champions it has produced.

Kakhi Kakhiashvili

Olympic champion in weightlifting in 1992, 1996, 2000; three-time world and four-time European champion; multiple world record holder, Soviet Union Cup winner and CIS champion; two-time Best Athlete of the Year of Georgia; Honored Master of Sports; currently the President of the Georgian Weightlifting Federation.

Roman Rurua

Georgian wrestler (Greco-Roman style), champion of the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City and silver medalist of the 1964 Tokyo Games, four-time world champion, winner of three Spartakiads of the Peoples of the Soviet Union, three-time champion of the Soviet Union, head of the Georgian Greco-Roman wrestling team (1984-1985) and coach of the USSR national team (1984-1987), Honored Master of Sports; Member of the 5th Parliament of Georgia in 1999-2004.

Alexander Anpilogov

Handball player, played for Tbilisi’s Burevestnik (1970-1985), Germany’s Landshut (1987-1992), USSR national team (1975-1987), is an Olympic champion (1976) and silver medalist (1980), world champion and silver medalist, two-time World Cup winner and USSR Cup winner, Honored Master of Sports.

Zurab Sakandelidze

Basketball player, played for Dinamo Tbilisi and the USSR national team (1965-1973); Olympic Games winner (1972) and bronze medalist (1968), world champion and third place, four-time European champion and third place (in 1967 he was recognized as the best defender at the European Championship in Helsinki and was included in the symbolic team of the tournament), USSR Cup winner, Georgian Sportsman of the Year (1967), Honored Master of Sports; head coach of the basketball club Dinamo Tbilisi (1979-1983).

Mikheil Korkia

Basketball player, played for Tbilisi “Dinamo” (1965-1979) and the USSR national team (1971-1977). Olympic champion (1972) and third prize winner (1976), European champion and two-time second prize winner, USSR champion and second prize winner, USSR Cup winner. Honored Master of Sports. President of the Kutaisi “Torpedo” football team.

Avtandil Koridze

Greco-Roman wrestler, Olympic champion (1960). World champion, two-time second and one-time third prize winner of the USSR Championship, winner of the Adriatic Cup, Honored Master of Sports.

Sergey Kovalenko

Basketball player (215 cm), played for the Georgian Polytechnic Institute team “Burevestnik” (1965–1969). From there he was invited to the USSR national team and won a bronze medal at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. In 1972, already a member of the Kiev “Stroitel” team (1969–1975), he became the Olympic champion in Munich.

World champions

Georgian Technical University has its own world champions.

Guram Sagharadze

Freestyle wrestler, second prize winner of the Olympic Games (1964), two-time world champion and second prize winner, European champion and bronze medalist, three-time champion and third place winner of the USSR, Honored Master of Sports, Honored Coach of the USSR.

Rostom Abashidze

Greco-Roman wrestler, three-time world and Soviet champion, winner of the Third World Youth Games, gold medalist of the Ivan Poddubny International Tournament, Honored Master of Sports. On February 20, 2015, a star of Rostom Abashidze was unveiled in front of the Wrestlers’ Club. He was the head coach of the Georgian national team in Greco-Roman wrestling.

Zarbeg Beriashvili

Freestyle wrestler. He participated in this sport at the Georgian Polytechnic Institute, champion of the sports society “Burevestnik”. Winner of one gold, two silver and one bronze medal of the world championships, as well as the Soviet Union Cup; four-time European champion, six-time USSR champion and the III Spartakiad of the Peoples of the Soviet Union, winner of the Japanese Open Championship.

Yuri Osipov

Foil fencer, member of the USSR national team (1955-1964), the first “Geppe” to compete in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games (team 5th place); world team champion, world and USSR student games team champion, silver and bronze medalist; Union Cup winner; ten-time champion of Georgia, honorary president of the Georgian Fencing Federation.

Luka Maisuradze

Freestyle wrestler. He participated in this sport at the Georgian Polytechnic Institute, champion of the sports society “Burevestnik”. Winner of one gold, two silver and one bronze medal of the world championships, as well as the Soviet Union Cup; four-time European champion, six-time USSR champion and the III Spartakiad of the Peoples of the Soviet Union, winner of the Japanese Open Championship.

World and European champions

Guram Minashvili

Basketball player, Olympic silver medalist (1960), Honored Master of Sports of the Soviet Union, third prize winner of the World Championship, three-time European Champion, winner of the European Champions Cup, Soviet Champion, three-time second and third prize winner; best player of the Mayrano Cup in Italy, head of the Department of Physical Education and Sports of the Georgian Technical University.

Anzor Lezhava

Basketball player, played for Nauka Tbilisi, Burevestnik (1954-1958) and Dinamo (1959-1972), and for the Georgian and USSR national teams.

Omar Egadze

Freestyle wrestler, Honored Master of Sports, World Vice Champion, winner of the 3rd and 4th Spartakiads of the Peoples of the USSR, four-time champion of the Soviet Union.

Nodar Modebadze

Freestyle wrestler, World Cup winner, European champion, USSR absolute champion and two-time second prize winner.

Avtandil Maisuradze

Freestyle wrestler, international-class master of sports, world champion among youth, champion of the 8th Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR, absolute champion of the Soviet Union.

Giorgi Makasarashvili

Freestyle wrestler, international-class master of sports, World Cup winner, two-time third prize winner of the European Championships.

Moris Sakhvadze

Fencer, third prize winner of the European Championship, three-time champion of the Soviet Union, second prize winner in individual and team championships, as well as two-time third prize winner in team championships. Winner of the Soviet Union Cup.

Jano Bagrationi

Handball player, played for Tbilisi’s “Burevestnik”. Champion of the USSR; Honored Coach of Georgia and the Soviet Union; Head of the Department of Physical Education of the Georgian Polytechnic Institute, Deputy Minister of Sports and Tourism, First Deputy Chairman of the State Department of Sports, Member of the 5th convocation of the Parliament of the country – Chairman of the Subcommittee on Sports and Youth, President and Honorary President of the National Olympic Committee,

Levan Kobiashvili

Footballer, member of the Georgian national team (1996-2011), played 100 matches. President of the Georgian Football Federation (since 2015).

Soso Liparteliani

Judoist, Olympic Games medalist (1996) and European vice-champion, world medalist in sambo. Head coach of the Georgian national judo team.

Edisher Machaidze

Greco-Roman wrestler, two-time USSR Cup winner, international-class Master of Sports, Honored Coach of Georgia; Doctor of Technical Sciences.

Manuchar Machaidze

Footballer, champion and vice-champion of the Soviet Union, three-time bronze medalist, silver medalist of the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR, two-time winner of the Union Cup, Honored Master of Sports; played for Tbilisi “Dinamo” (1966-1980), was its captain, member of the Soviet national team (1974-1979). Member of the Parliament of Georgia of the 19th convocation.

Guram Gogolauri

Judoist, participant of the Munich Olympics (5th place), three-time European champion in the team event, two-time silver and bronze medalist, two-time champion of socialist countries, vice-champion of the USSR, winner of the Union Cup, winner of international tournaments, Honored Master of Sports.

David Gurgenidze

Grandmaster in chess composition, two-time world champion and third prize winner in composing chess etudes and problems; two-time champion of the Soviet Union and three-time bronze medalist.

Omar Bliadze

Greco-Roman wrestler, European champion and second prize winner, World Championship silver medalist, Soviet Union champion and second prize winner.

Mindia Bodaveli

Judoist, European Youth Champion, Sambo World Champion and three-time bronze medalist, two-time European Champion and four-time prize-winner.

Jemal Abaishvili

Handball player, two-time champion of the Soviet Union, three-time second and two-time third prize winner. Participant of two world championships. Best goalkeeper of the Soviet Union (1962-1964).

Tamaz Antadze

Handball player, two-time champion of the USSR, three-time second and third prize winner; played for Tbilisi’s Burevestnik (1957-1967, 1969-1970), the USSR national team, Honored Coach of Georgia.

Giorgi (Gogi) Gogelia

Fencer, Master of Sports, first Georgian champion of the USSR in fencing among juniors (1951), member of the Union national team (1957–1960), silver medalist of the World Festival, two-time finalist of the Soviet Union Championship.

Kote Gogelia

Fencer, Master of Sports, multiple champion and cup holder of Georgia; bronze medalist of the USSR among juniors; USSR champion among youths, silver and bronze medalist with the Georgian Polytechnic Institute national team;

Zaza Nadiradze

Georgian rower. Participant of the 2016 Summer Olympics. Gold medalist of the 2018 European Championships (Belgrade, Serbia). World Cup winner (2019, Poznan, Poland). President of the Georgian Rowing Federation since 2020.

Bukhuti Gurgenidze

Chess player, the first Georgian grandmaster, four-time participant and two-time champion of the World Student Team Championships as part of the Soviet Union team.

Shota Iamanidze

Footballer, Honored Master of Sports, member of Dinamo Tbilisi (captain from 1961 to 1967) and the Soviet Union national football team; Soviet Union champion and three-time bronze medalist.

Mikheil Kekelidze

Basketball player. Played for “Dinamo”, was the champion of the USSR and three-time winner of the Union Cup, Honored Coach of the Soviet Union, Honored Worker of Physical Culture and Sports of Georgia. Head of the Department of Physical Education and Sports of the Georgian Polytechnic Institute.

Giorgi Narimanidze

Handball player, played for Tbilisi’s Burevestnik since 1970; bronze medalist of the 1975 Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR, three-time third-place finisher in the Union Championships, winner of the Soviet Union Cup.

Valerian (Suliko) Rogava

Pentathlete, Master of Sports of the USSR, Honored Coach of Georgia.

Mikheil Tskhvedadze

Pioneer of Georgian basketball, Union category referee. Head of the Department of Physical Education at the Georgian Polytechnic Institute.

Amberki Tabidze

Handball player, Master of Sports of international class, USSR Cup winner, three-time third prize winner of the Union Championships, bronze medalist of the VI Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR.

Zurab Sotkilava

Footballer and world-famous singer. Member of Sokhumi “Dinamo” and Tbilisi “Dinamo”, captain of the Georgian youth team. Soloist of the Zakaria Palishvili Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Academic Theater, Moscow Bolshoi Theater.

Lev Dzekonsky

Basketball player, two-time champion and vice-champion of the USSR, bronze medalist, Honored Master of Sports, Honored Coach of the USSR, international category referee.

Tsitsino Kakhabrishvili

Chess player, Master of Sports of the Soviet Union, champion of the Central Council of the Sports Society “Dinamo” among girls, prize-winner of the Union Championships for students and youth.

Alexander Khutsishvili

Handball player, Master of Sports, winner of the World Student Championship as part of the Soviet national team, champion of the Soviet Union, three-time second and third prize winner.

Valeri Lomadze

Basketball player, member of Tbilisi “Burevestnik” (1958-1961) and “Dinamo” (1962-1967); two-time third prize winner of the USSR championships, multiple winner of international tournaments of Dinamo players in 9 countries.

Champions and prize winners

Luka Maisuradze

Judoist, world champion and two-time bronze medalist, European champion and two-time third-place finisher, European U23 champion, world third-place finisher among youth, European champion and silver medalist.

Ilia Sulamanidze

Paris Olympics silver medalist, judoka, third place in the World Championships and European Vice Champion, two-time European U23 champion, youth world champion and silver medalist, two-time European champion and bronze medalist, Zagreb Grand Prix silver medalist.

Badri Kavelashvili

Rower (kayak) – World Championship silver medalist, European Champion, European U23 Champion, World Cup bronze medalist.

Zaza Nadiradze

Rower (canoe), fifth place finisher at the Olympic Games, European champion, two-time world championship winner, winner and prize-winner of world cups.

Shalva Sulamanidze

Judoist, bronze medalist at the European Youth Championship.

Zviad Lomsadze

Armwrestler, winner of world and European championships.

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