PM praises Georgian athletes, pledges to be by their side amid “pressure” from radical opposition

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday expressed his respect to Georgian athletes and pledged that the Government would be by their side in all circumstances, denouncing radical domestic opposition for their attempts to “pressure” the athletes in the last few days to make political statements.

The attempt to throw the athletes into the political filth of the collective United National Movement [opposition party] is the lowest behaviour that characterises these people [opposition]”, Kobakhidze stressed.

“The same people called Khvicha Kvaratskhelia [Georgian national team and Napoli winger, who played in Russia] and Tornike Shengelia [professional basketball player for Georgia’s national team and Virtus Bologna of the Lega Basket Serie A, who also previously competed in the Russian championship] traitors just a couple of years ago”, the PM added.

The Government will stand by Georgian athletes at the upcoming European Championship, as they will stand by the side of their country when it becomes a member state of the European Union, Kobakhidze said.

Georgian athletes have expressed their support for the country’s European future in social media amid the public protest of the controversial bill on transparency of foreign influence, which has been branded as the ‘Russian law’ by the domestic opposition.