President Zurabichvili declines to attend government’s Olympic awards ceremony

President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, on Thursday announced her refusal to attend the government-organized awards ceremony for athletes participating in the Paris Olympics. At a briefing held in her administration, Zourabichvili cited several reasons for her decision.

The government is hosting a ceremony at the Palace of State Ceremonies, the former presidential residence in Avlabari, later at 20:00. The event will be open to invited guests and journalists but will not accommodate ordinary citizens who wish to see the athletes.

Zourabichvili claimed she was informed of the event just a few hours before, at 13:00. She expressed her dissatisfaction, emphasizing that the celebration should be public rather than held in a closed-off venue.

“I believe this is an issue that unites the country and society. We should celebrate together, not in a closed space,” Zourabichvili said. She also criticized the timing of the event, noting that the Olympic Games were not yet over and the Paralympians, who will represent Georgia, are returning after September 8.

“It’s unbelievable. I do not know who is forgetting – whether it’s the minister of sports or the government as a whole. This is unacceptable,” she added, announcing plans to hold her own ceremonial event in September.

On August 12, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili awarded the Paris Olympics medalists with the highest state honors. As the President of Georgia, Zourabichvili would normally present these awards, but she was not mentioned in the government’s announcement.

The athletes honored included:

Lasha Talakhadze: Three-time Olympic, seven-time world, and seven-time European champion.

Lasha Bekauri: Two-time Olympic champion and winner of the 2021 European Championship.

Geno Petriashvili: Gold, silver, and bronze Olympic medalist, three-time world champion, and two-time European champion.

Those nominated for the Order of Honor include:

Tato Grigalashvili: Silver medalist at the Paris Olympics, three-time world and European champion.

Ilia Sulamanidze: Silver medalist at the Paris Olympics and winner of world and European championships.

Givi Macharashvili: Silver medalist at the Paris Olympics, world champion, and two-time European champion.

Lasha Guruli: Bronze medalist at the Paris Olympics, and world and European champion.

The Paris Olympic Games are ongoing, with 14 Georgian athletes expected to compete in the Paralympics.