2018-12-26
In 2018, you reaffirmed that we can win, and that Georgia is a homeland of champions, Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze addressed athletes at today's Best Athlete 2018 awarding ceremony.
The Head of Government honored Lasha Talakhadze, the strongest man on earth, with the Best Athlete of the Year Award.
The Prime Minister underlined 2018 as the most successful year in the history of Georgian sports, and praised each successful athlete as a role model.
"Today more than ever, Georgia needs victories. Undoubtedly, 2018 has been a year of triumphant Georgian sports. You, our acclaimed athletes, have garnered 800 medals on behalf of our homeland, which is why 2018 is the most successful year in the history of Georgian sports, and for that I thank you. It is especially exciting that we have been successful in both individual and team sports. Especially noteworthy is the success of our Paralympians. Allow me to express my gratitude to them. I also want you to remember that each of them is a role model for our adolescents and youth, proving that a healthy lifestyle has no alternative. I am convinced that 2019 will be even more successful. We must be diligent in preparing for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2020, Georgia must once again prove that it is a homeland of champions, indeed. At the same time, UNESCO has recognized Georgian wrestling as an intangible cultural heritage of humankind. It is a great success reiterating that we the Georgians, a small but talented nation, have made a special contribution to world civilization, and I would like to thank everyone actively involved in this process," the Prime Minister stated.
The 2018 Best Athlete Awarding Ceremony was held at Rustaveli Theater. Along with the Athlete of the Year, Best Athletes were announced in 14 categories. The event was attended by the President of Georgia, the Prime Minister of Georgia, the Minister and Deputy Ministers of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, representatives of executive and legislative bodies, the Mayor of Tbilisi, leadership of the Olympic Committee and relevant sports federations, Olympic and world champions, retired and active athletes.
Prime Minister's Press Office