Niniashvili Lifts Georgia as Gori Opens with a Charged -73 kg Final

The first day of the Gori Senior European Cup 2026 ended with a strong home story, as Bagrat Niniashvili took gold in the men’s -73 kg category and gave the crowd inside the Gori Sports Palace a result to celebrate.

It was an important moment not only because of the medal, but because of the path behind it. Niniashvili said he prepared in Tbilisi and came into the event after a difficult period that included surgery on his hand and then on his leg. Even without claiming perfect condition, he still finished the day as champion.

A home final gave Gori one of its biggest moments of day one.

The -73 kg final carried extra intensity for local fans because it was an all-Georgian contest. Niniashvili faced Tornike Mosiashvili, turning the last match of the category into a direct battle between two athletes from the host nation. Afterward, Niniashvili said his first four contests had gone relatively comfortably, while the final felt especially meaningful because his opponent was also his friend.

That result helped Georgia move to the top of the medal table after the opening day. The hosts closed day one with one gold, two silver and two bronze medals. Azerbaijan stayed close with one gold, one silver and three bronze medals, while Great Britain held third place with one gold and one silver.

The men’s draws also produced another all-national final, this time in -66 kg, where Azerbaijan placed both athletes into the gold-medal match. Islam Rahimov won that category, with Elshan Asadov taking silver. In men’s -60 kg, Damir Meremov of the Russian Federation claimed gold.

European athletes also stood out in the women’s categories. Switzerland’s Chiara Friden won -63 kg, Slovenia’s Jevgenija Gajic topped -70 kg, and Great Britain’s Chloe Nunn took gold in +78 kg. Great Britain added another medal through Sunny Doig, who finished with silver in -63 kg, while Greece also reached the podium through Galini Sirinidou in -63 kg and Sofia Xanthopoulou in -70 kg. Austria’s Franziska Schloegl earned bronze in -63 kg as well.

For Niniashvili, the gold was tied closely to the experience of competing in Georgia. He stressed how important it is for both the country and its athletes to host events of this level on home soil, and said fighting in front of home supporters brings a completely different kind of motivation.

That feeling was visible in Gori on day one. With an all-Georgian final, a local winner in one of the headline men’s divisions, and Georgia leading the standings overnight, the event opened with real energy.

Day two will decide the remaining medals in men’s -81 kg, -90 kg, -100 kg and +100 kg, as well as women’s -48 kg, -52 kg and -57 kg. But after the first set of finals, the loudest memory belongs to Niniashvili and a home crowd that had every reason to believe.

Source: EJU.net

Image source: EJU / European Judo Union