Before sending them to London Mikheil Saakashvili hosted the members of national Olympic team at the Presidential palace and wished them luck in Olympic Games.
“You have a big competition ahead and we will have great emotions related to your victory. Eight years ago we assumed leadership of one of the most miserable, lagging and hapless countries. We had no chances, but let’s be frank, we are no less than anyone and despite many problems many admit that Georgia is taking one of the first positions in the world. This is how we should be in terms of sports. Others represent larger countries and have more experience and money…so what? Georgia and a Georgian is a fighter, who does not give up in dead-end situations, never gives in to obstacles, never loses hope of victory and fights for victory. So I would like to wish you success. People sometimes say that we have no chance in a lot of sports but this is a lie. We have a chance in any direction that we fight. This is why we should fight everywhere. We have a very rich tradition historically, and we have many Olympic champions. Georgians had to be 10 times better in order to become members of Soviet Olympic teams than representatives of Russia or any other nation. When you are wearing a uniform of the Georgian national team and you compete under the flag of your nation you have 10 times more responsibility and you are obligated to achieve success” – noted the President of Georgia while addressing members of national Olympic team.
A Polish athlete Masiej Rosievich, will compete for the honor of the Georgian national team this year. According to the sportsman, he made this decision because of the big love connecting the Georgian and Polish people. Masiej Rosievich also recalled the friendship between President Saakashvili and Lech Kaczynski, and noted that Mikheil Saakashvili’s arrival at Lech Kaczynski’s funeral despite the tough circumstance, was only an expression of that great friendship and love.
“In 2008 the Olympics began in Beijing. Unfortunately, a war started in Georgia and I felt a very deep friendship with the Georgian people because we as sportsmen wanted to celebrate the Olympic Games, but I knew that there was a war here, and it was very sad for me and another time in 2010 when the plane of President Kaczynski crashed. Then President Saakashvili came to Krakov to commemorate Mister Kaczynski and changed planes 5 times from the USA to Poland. Everyone including me admires this fact, and then I thought that I wanted to become a citizen of Georgia.” – noted Masiej Rosievich.
35 Georgian athletes will compete in 12 types of sport this year. Nino Salukvadze will be the flag bearer of the team, and its captain. She is already in London with archer Kristine Esebua.
At the beginning, Judo representatives will start competing for the title of Olympic champion. Georgian Olympians will leave for London the morning of July 25th. The Olympics will open on July 27th.