Irakli Khmelidze, part of the Georgian Judo Federation and one of Judo’s greatest fans.
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Please tell us more about yourself. Your name, age, and where you’re from.
I am Irakli Khmelidze, 48 years old, from Tbilisi, Georgia. I have been living in the capital of Georgia since I was born, which I am very proud of.
Until 2015, I had no contact with Judo at all.
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Have you ever trained in a Martial Art sport?
No, I have never done any Martial Art sport. My profession is a builder and I have always worked in this field. I love sports in general, but I just didn’t have time for anything else.
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What drew you to the sport of Judo?
I have never been a Judoka, nor have I ever worn a Judogi. But us Georgians, like many other cultures in general, have wrestling in our blood, and the love of Judo probably followed me unconsciously from birth.
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What did you do before getting involved with Judo in the Georgian Judo Federation?
After graduating from the university, I worked for a short period as a journalist in the leading sports newspaper of Georgia, and then I managed my own small business for quite a long time.
In 2015, the business didn’t go as well as before and I was forced to close it down.
The Georgian Judo Federation is a mere 5 minute walking distance from my home, and I really wanted to go there. So I ended up in a completely unfamiliar situation with absolutely unfamiliar people. But the big Georgian Judo family received me very warmly, as they saw my immense love for their sport. Just everyone- from the president to the doorman. It was really unbelievable to find myself amongst the legends.
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What was the first Judo trip you ever made?
My first judo trip was in 2016, to Vantaa, Finland, at the Cadet European Championships. The first tournament was accompanied by an unpleasant incident. When our plane was about to land a terrorist attack occured, accompanied by a big explosion in the Istanbul airport. Our plane then turned around and landed in Ankara. Finally the team flew safely to the championships. It was the golden generation, young Lasha Bekauri, Tato Grigalashvili, Gela Zaalishvili and others were in that team. Lasha Bekauri was in the -60 kg category at that time.
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How are you funding Judo trips?
It’s not easy to go to Judo tournaments and travelling around the world, but I love Judo so much that I manage to do it with the help of my family and friends.
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You’re always involved in the IJF Prediction League, you’re almost always right when it comes to predictions. Most of the time you rank number one for predictions. Tell us more about it and what the IJF Prediction League is.
The IJF started this project in the second part of 2019. I don’t know whose idea it was, but I think it turned out to be very successful. What could be more beneficial for promoting this wonderful sport, than thousands of fans from all over the world competing to show how much they love Judo. In addition to having fun, many things are involved there, such as knowledge, intuition, good memory…
I would like to tell you that a lot of famous people in this field participate there including coaches, officials and even Judoka themselves. It’s a great honor to be one of the best in such a lineup.
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Do you remember the first tournament you predicted for the IJF Prediction League?
Of course I remember, my first tournament in the “Predictions League” was Grand Prix Tashkent 2019 where I took second place. From that moment on I realized that my knowledge of Judo was quite good and I could be a winner there. I took part in 97 tournaments since then and won 79 which is 82%.
And my statistics for the remaining 18 tournaments (that I did not manage to win) was – 10 second place, 4 third place and 4 fourth place results.
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Who are your favourite male and female Judo athletes, and why?
I don’t have favourite athletes. Because of my great love for Judo, I like everyone. I think you can find something special in every Judoka, some features that you like and then enjoy to watch. Well, if you still ask me to be specific, my favourited Judoka is Yarden Gerbi. For her dedication, fighting spirit and outstanding personal qualities.
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Which tournament, or tournaments, are your favourite from the IJF World Tour?
Besides the Olympic Games and World Championships, my favourite tournaments are two Grand Slams – Paris and Tokyo.
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Are you going to be at the Senior World Championships in Tashkent? If not, when is your next Judo trip?
After the Covid pandemic it became very difficult to attend Judo tournaments, as there are many restrictions and “the bubble” requirements. So, unfortunately I will not be able to go to Tashkent this time. As for the other tournaments in the future, we will see…
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What do you love most about Judo?
Besides the extraordinary, spectacular throws and fights, nowhere have I seen such unity as in the big Judo world family. Friendship, respect, support, courtesy and many other values really do distinguish Judo and undoubtedly put it above all the other sports. Judo is the best and coolest sport in the world- and that says it all.
