Georgia's Olympic gold winner Bekauri to use prize money to bring mother, grandmother back from emigration

Lasha Bekauri celebrates with his gold medal following the men's 90 kg category judo final in Tokyo. Photo via Georgian National Olympic Committee.

Agenda.ge, 29 Jul 2021 - 17:41, Tbilisi,Georgia

Lasha Bekauri, the first gold medal-winner for Georgia at the 2021 Summer Olympic Games, has said he intends to use the prize money from the state to bring his mother and grandmother back from work in emigration.

Speaking to TV Pirveli channel following his victory in the men's 90 kg category final on Wednesday, the 21-year-old was asked if he already had plans for spending the one million GEL ($323,000/€273,000) prize, designated by the Georgian government for gold winners in Tokyo.

In his response the young judoka said his first goal was to use the money to allow his mother and grandmother to return to Georgia from their current residence in Greece, where they have been forced to emigrate in search of employment.

First of all, my grandmother and mother are in Greece for work - they are emigrants [there] - and I would like to bring them [back] to Georgia. I do not want them to be in emigration. I have not given thought [to other aims to use the money prize for], but this is my first wish

- Lasha Bekauri in conversation with TV Pirveli

Tens of thousands of citizens of Georgia - including a disproportionate share of women - have emigrated abroad over the recent decades, many of them in search of job opportunities. They are recognised as a major source of support for their families left behind, through remittances wired to Georgia every month.

In his interview with the channel, Bekauri also mentioned his first call following the judo final had been to his father, adding they were both still "in shock" with the win.

The judoka defeated Germany's Eduard Trippel through waza-ari on Mat 1 of the revered Nippon Budokan arena in Tokyo. The result saw Georgian team physician Zurab Kakhabrishvili in tears, signifying relief for his work with Bekauri on nursing the latter's shoulder injury, sustained at the World Championship in Budapest last year and placing the young athlete's participation at the Olympic Games in doubt.

In 2019 the athlete was named newcomer of the year in International Judo Federation's unofficial end of year awards, with the wrestler also boasting the winner's titles from year's Junior World Championships and European Championships.