Batumi team wins inaugural Alexander Bokochadze handball tournament in Kutaisi

Kutaisi, Georgia: The first edition of the Alexander Bokochadze handball tournament, organized by Kutaisi City Hall and Handball Federation of Georgia, concluded on Sunday with the Batumi team lifting the trophy.

The tournament, named after the legendary Georgian handball player who played for several clubs in Europe and represented his country in international competitions, was held at the Sports Palace in Kutaisi from Friday to Sunday.

Four teams from different regions of Georgia participated in the tournament: Kutaisi, Batumi, Tbilisi, and Rustavi. The teams played each other in a round-robin format, with the top two teams advancing to the final.

In the final match, Kutaisi and Batumi faced each other in a thrilling encounter that ended with a narrow victory for the coastal team. Batumi team showed their resilience and skill to overcome the home advantage of Kutaisi and clinch the title.

The award ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Kutaisi Ioseb Khakhaleishvili, the Chairman of the Committee of Sports and Youth Affairs Irakli Medzmariashvili, representatives of the Handball Federation, and members of Alexander Bokochadze’s family. The winners and runners-up received medals and trophies, while the best players in various categories were also honored.

Mayor Khakhaleishvili congratulated the participants and praised the initiative of the Handball Federation to establish the tournament in memory of Bokochadze. He said that Kutaisi was proud to host the tournament and hoped that it would become a tradition and a remarkable sporting event for the city.

The tournament was also a tribute to the legacy of Bokochadze, who passed away in 2018 at the age of 55. He was widely regarded as one of the best handball players in Georgia and the region and was inducted into the EHF Hall of Fame in 2016.

Kutaisi City

Kutaisi is a city in west Georgia. It is home to the centuries-old Bagrati Cathedral. On the city’s outskirts, the Gelati Monastery is a medieval cathedral with elaborate frescoes. The nearby hillside Motsameta Monastery has martyrs’ remains. Historical Georgian manuscripts, ceramics, and textiles are on display at the Kutaisi State Historical Museum.