Three-Time Olympic Medal Winner to Conduct Sessions For Close To 70 Judokas And Coaches As Part Of IIS’ Excellence Accelerator Programme
New Delhi, 26th November 2024: Georgian judo legend Lasha Shavdatuashvili is in India from November 25 to 29 to conduct a five-day judo masterclass for athletes and coaches.
This was announced by the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), who are bringing down three-time Olympic medal-winning judoka and one of the most successful athletes in the sport’s history to the IIS Headquarters in Bellary, Karnataka, to spearhead the masterclass that will play a big role in taking judo in India to the next level.
Lasha, who won the Gold Medal at the London 2012 Games, followed it up with a Bronze Medal in Rio 2016 before going on to win the Silver Medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games. His glittering list of accolades also includes five World Championship medals – two of which are Gold Medals.
Expressing his pleasure at being in India, Lasha said, “I consider it a privilege to come to India and share my knowledge with judokas and coaches, who, I believe, will shine and perform on the international stage in the near future. I am aware that the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) has been doing a lot for Indian judo for the past few years. This initiative is yet another step in that direction, and I am delighted to be part of it.”
The sessions—part of the Inspire Institute of Sport’s IIS Excellence Accelerator series—will see the Georgian legend share his knowledge with a mix of young judokas from the programme at IIS and handpicked talent from around the country, while also involving select coaches.
Speaking on the initiative aimed at giving Indian judo a much-needed fillip, IIS Founder Parth Jindal said, “Judo has been a part of the IIS since inception, and while there is no dearth of talented judokas in the country, we must focus attention to translate talent into medals. India had just one judoka at the Paris Olympics, and we need to work to change that at LA 2028. Bringing an athlete of Lasha’s stature down to India to help our judokas and our coaches is just one of the many interventions we will lead to make India’s judo programme a success.”
The judo masterclass is the first in the series of the Inspire Institute of Sport’s newest initiative—the IIS Excellence Accelerator. Elaborating on the vertical, Manisha Malhotra, President, IIS, said: “The Excellence Accelerator has been shaped with an aim at giving our athletes, coaches, and systems an education and an advantage as we now set our sights on LA 2028.
“We want to give our athletes the best, be it in terms of infrastructure or exposure. Lasha is one of the sport’s most decorated athletes, and the insights he will bring to these sessions will be invaluable. Through the Excellence Accelerator, we will be creating more such opportunities across the sporting disciplines we work with.”
