At traditional tournament on free-style wrestling "Takhti's Cup" which will pass on February 6-7 in Tehran, will perform the 41-year-old veteran Luka Kurtanidze.

In this single combat only one case when the wrestler at so respectable age managed to achieve heights is known. The fellow countryman Kurtanidze, Arsen Mekokishvili, in 40 years became the Olympic champion, and in 42 years won the World Cup. However, it was in far 1950th years, and after impressive progress of the Georgian athlete long-liver the age of champions in wrestling considerably decreased and is rare when exceeded 30 years.

Kurtanidze finished career in 2009, having collected a solid collection of awards:   two "bronze" of the Olympic Games, gold medals of two World Cups and five European championships.   The eminent wrestler for certain wishes to fill up the collection, however, when him asked about the reasons of return to a carpet, he answered that to them moves desire to strengthen the competition in category to 97 kg which after withdrawal from sports of the bronze prize-winner Igr in London Georgy Gogshelidze is considered one of the weakest in the national team of Georgia. 

Kurtanidze seriously prepared for the return to wrestling. "I trained all last year, participated in collecting a national team and before making the decision on career renewal, everything carefully weighed" — he told.

Together with the glorified veteran in Tehran performance in weight to 97 kg of his son Nodar who, however, yet has no some powerful results is planned.

However, for Georgia will be whom to stand on tournament in which, except for the injured Olympic prize-winner of London Dato Marsagishvili, all leading wrestlers of this country will take part almost. The team was joined Beka Budzhiashvili, Flocks by Gogava, Lasha Talakhadze (all — 57 kg), Vladimir Hinchegashvili (61 kg), Konstantin Habalashvili (65 kg), Dmitry Basilashvili (70 kg), Jacob Makarashvili (74 kg), Sandro Aminashvili (86 kg), David Kerashvili (97 kg), David Modzmanashvili (125 kg).

The present trip to Iran becomes the first for the Georgian wrestlers after last year the Federation of wrestling of Georgia made the decision not to send command for tournaments to the Islamic republic. This demarche was caused by cases of nonpayment of the tournaments of prize-winning money stipulated in provision. The decision to resume cooperation of federations of wrestling of two countries was reached last December during a bilateral meeting in Tbilisi. The Iranian representatives promised to control implementation of obligations of organizers of tournaments in their country. So the Georgian wrestlers, as well as athletes from ten other states, gone to Tehran, can count that provided on "Takhti's Cup" for the first, second and third places on 5, 3 and 2 thousand dollars respectively, they is guaranteed will receive in full.

Timur RASULOV

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