Georgia becomes world champion in mixed team judo for first time
Georgia’s mixed men’s and women’s judo team has achieved a historic milestone by winning the gold medal at the 2025 World Team Judo Championships held in Hungary.
Georgia defeated South Korea in the final with a commanding score of 4:1, securing the world champion title for the first time in its history.
Before reaching the final, the Georgian team showcased exceptional skill and determination. In the opening rounds, they defeated China 4:1 and Italy 4:0.
In the semifinals, they faced the reigning 2024 world champions, Japan, and triumphed 4:2.
The decisive semifinal match was won by Lasha Bekauri (-90 kg), who delivered an ippon victory over Japan’s Sanshiro Murao in a tense showdown.
Alongside the team competition, Georgian judokas made history in the individual categories.
Eteri Liparteliani (-57 kg) claimed Georgia’s first-ever senior-level gold medal in women’s judo, defeating Japan’s Momo Tamaoki. Tato Grigalashvili (-81 kg) and Guram Tushishvili (+100 kg) earned silver medals. Luka Maisuradze (-90 kg) secured a bronze medal.
The Georgian judokas participated in the World Championships with the support of the Georgian Ministry of Sports.
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FIFA names Georgia and Armenia as co-hosts of 2029 U-20 World Cup
29.04.2026.16:49
FIFA on Tuesday decided that Georgia and Armenia would host the 2029 FIFA U-20 World Cup, following a FIFA Council meeting held on April 28 in Vancouver, Canada, ahead of the 76th FIFA Congress.
Georgia and Armenia submitted a joint bid to host the 2029 tournament in June 2024.
The FIFA U-20 World Cup has been held every two years since 1977, with 24 teams competing in the final tournament.
Notably, this will be the first time in the history of independent Georgian football that the country hosts a FIFA-organized world-level tournament.
Further details regarding host cities, stadiums, and other organizational and technical aspects of the tournament will be announced at a later date.
“This is truly a remarkable event - for the first time in the history of independent Georgian football, we will host a world-class tournament under FIFA’s auspices. It is a very important tournament for our countries and for football, and I am glad that we will be working on this project together. I congratulate all football fans and I am confident that this tournament will leave a similar mark on the development of our football as the international tournaments we have successfully hosted in the recent past”, Levan Kobiashvili, the president of the Georgian football federation said.
“Hosting this tournament is of great importance for both federations. I am confident that both Georgia and Armenia will host the World Cup with dignity. We will do everything possible to make this tournament stand out in the history of FIFA’s youth world competitions”, Armen Melikbekyan, the president of the Armenian football federation noted.
