The history of the Georgian Olympic games started in the late 1950s, but its first stone was laid in 1989, with the first meeting of its initiative group, the Georgian National Olympic Committee (GNOC). This came at the time of the Soviet breakup and in the aftermath of that painfully memorable day of the 9th of April. At those difficult times of political turmoil and drastic socio-economic changes in the life of our people, the Georgian patriots and lovers of sport truly bit the bullet and gave a strong impetus to the Olympic movement in Sakartvelo.
Among those heroic initiators of the movement was Emzar Zenaishvili, a talented author and well-known sports journalist, and the current general secretary of GNOC. It is hard to believe that he has joined the ranks of Georgian octogenarians, still working with vigor and zeal, doing the most valuable service to Georgian sports in general, and to the Olympic Committee in particular.
Zenaishvili turned 80 on September 10, and his birthday was noted with the timely appearance of two books about his life, penned by him but conceived and edited by his true comrade-in-arms, the famous Paata Natsvlishvili, and published by the Petite Publishing House in Tbilisi. Emzar is himself the author of three wonderful books, replete with many a tale about our contemporary athletic life, bringing a new earthiness and directness to sports prose in general. He has nine summer and eight winter Olympic games under his belt – each time having been one of the leaders of the Georgian team at the Games.
Zenaishvili has participated in numerous sessions and congresses of the International Olympic Committee in the capacity of the member of the Sports Journalists World Association. As a specialist of Oriental Studies, after graduating from the Tbilisi State University, he published several scientific papers on the subject of Persian culture and history, and worked as the First Vice-President of Georgia’s Tennis Federation and the President of the Shevardeni Sports Association.
Decorated by the Order of Honor of Georgia, Zenaishvili has selflessly dedicated all his life to the idea of building up sports in the new Georgia on the ruins of the former Soviet Union, so that his beloved Georgian compatriots would feel less painfully the crucial changes occurring in the country after the disintegration of the USSR. Having found the best chance of self-expression in building and promoting national sports, he has done his utmost to help the sporting life in Sakartvelo flourish to the utmost so that Georgian athletes have a chance to be among the best in the world. Without an iota of exaggeration, his role is significant in what Georgia is currently achieving at the Olympics.
Thanks to his shrewdness and natural acumen for sports business, his opinion has always been listened to with great heed, and respectfully taken into consideration, to the benefit of the local Olympic movement. Also priceless are his efforts to proliferate the idea of sports among Georgian youth. Indeed, it is hard to match Emzar Zenaishvili’s tireless exploits in the development of Georgian sports, and the results are at hand.
Together with his wonderful longtime colleagues Leri Khabelov, Elguja Berishvili, Mamuka Khabareli, Nino Salukvadze, Tengiz Gachechiladze, Paata Natsvlishvili and others, Zenaishvili is still at the national Olympic wheel, using his incomparable experience and interminable love for sports to the benefit of his beloved Georgian people and the entire Georgian sports community.
Blog by Nugzar B. Ruhadze
