Georgian Judo Federation President Resigns

After a month of protests from the National Judo Team of Georgia, demanding the resignation of the Federation President Davit Kevkhishvili, he has decided to resign.

In his Facebook post, Kevkhishvili says there have been provocations from some forces and in order to keep the sportsmen away from this, he decided to quit.

“I did it for judo interests…I would like to express my respect to each of my employees, coaches, club representatives, judo fans, true judokas…I am stepping down from the post of the President of the Federation. I do so in order to let all dignified judokas focus on doing their job in a calm environment and not to become victims of provocations,” the post reads.

The members of Georgia's National Judo Team had been protesting since May 4. The sportsmen claimed Kevkhishvili had failed to fulfill his duties or establish effective communication with the sportsmen or the coaches. They also said he misused federation funds.

Last week, the Commission created by the Ministry of Culture and Sport of Georgia examined complaints brought by the National Judo Team against the Judo Federation President but stated they saw no grounds for his resignation. 

Judokas refused to train or participate in international competitions until their demands were met. They have now resumed training after Kevkhishvili resigned.

By Thea Morrison

Photo source: popsport.ge

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