Teona Sturua becomes first Georgian female FIFA international category referee
Sturua, a former football player in the Kutaisi-based Georgian women's football club Martve, started her referee career as an assistant in 2018, before becoming the head referee. Photo via Georgian Football Federation
Tweet 
Share
Teona Sturua has become the first Georgian female referee of the FIFA international category and will judge international matches, the Georgian Football Federation announced on Friday.
Along with Sturua, two more Georgians Khatuna Maisuradze and Ketevan Gaiparashvili are also among the FIFA international list of referees, only with an assistant referee status.
Sturua, a former football player in the Kutaisi-based Georgian women's football club Martve, started her referee career as an assistant in 2018, before becoming the head referee.
During her football career, she has become Georgia’s two-time champion and two-time bronze medalist, while also participating in UEFA Women’s Champions League and playing for the country’s Under-19 women’s national team for four years.
Georgia’s U21 national football team will face the Netherlands, Sweden, North Macedonia, Moldova and Gibraltar in the 2025 European Championship, after the draw on Thursday placed the squad in Group C of the tournament.
Georgia Barbarians, the rugby club of the American state, will visit Georgia after the governing bodies of the state and the country agreed to form closer ties on Monday.
Georgia’s Nika Amashukeli will continue his rise to the top of the rugby refereeing by being given oversight of a Four Nations game between New Zealand and Argentina this summer, the Georgian Rugby Union announced on Friday.
Georgia's Nika Amashukeli will make history next month by becoming the first referee from a Tier 2 rugby country to judge a game between Tier 1 teams, when he takes to the field at Principality Stadium in Cardiff for a fixture between Wales and Canada.
The Georgian Football Federation has elected Levan Kobiashvili as the President of the Federation for the third term with the absolute majority of votes from 28 delegates, the Federation announced on Saturday.