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| Georgians ქართველები |
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 The Kartvelian people |
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| Georgia |
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| History of Georgia |
Sport in Georgia has a long history.
The most popular sports in Georgia arefootball,basketball,rugby union,wrestling,judo andweightlifting. In 19th-century Georgiapolo and the traditional Georgian gamelelo were popular, later replaced by rugby union.
Wrestling remains a historically important sport. Some historians claim that theGreco-Roman style of wrestling incorporates many Georgian elements.[1] Within Georgia, one of the most popularized styles of wrestling is theKakhetian style. However, other styles are not as widely used today. For example, theKhevsureti region of Georgia has three different styles of wrestling.
Football is one of the most popular sports in Georgia.[2][3] It is governed by theGeorgian Football Federation (GFF). The GFF organizes themen's,women's, andfutsal national teams. Modern football was introduced by English sailors playing inPoti at the beginning of the 20th century.[3]
Rugby union is the most popular sport in the country. They have qualified in every singleRugby World Cup since 2003, their best result being winning two games at pool stage in theRugby World Cup 2015.[4] Their national team is considered to be Tier 2 with high performance.[5]
Lelo, or lelo burti (Georgian: ლელო ბურთი), literally a "field ball [playing]", is a Georgian folk sport. It is a full contact ball game, similar to rugby.[6] Within Georgian rugby union terminology, the word lelo is used to mean a try, and the popularity of rugby union in Georgia has been attributed to it.
In 2014, lelo burti, along with khridoli, a traditional martial art, was inscribed by the government of Georgia as a "nonmaterial monument" of culture.[7]
It appeared in the 12th century Georgian epic poem "The Knight in the Panther's Skin" in which the characters play lelo burti.[8]
Georgia has produced world-class basketball players includingTornike Shengelia,Vladimir Stepania,Nikoloz Tskitishvili and most notablyZaza Pachulia. Georgians strongly support their national team.Mikheil Saakashvili, former president of the country, travelled to Lithuania to support his team at the2011 EuroBasket with 1,500 fans from Georgia.
Georgia co-hostedEuroBasket 2021 inTbilisi alongside Czech Republic, Germany and Italy.
Georgia made their debut at theFIBA Basketball World Cup in2023 where they finished 16th.
Tornike Shengelia is playing inEuroleague, they had wins against Serbia, Lithuania and Greece.
As of February 2024, Georgia's men ranked 23rd in the world.[9]
Weightlifting is a sport athletes compete in lifting a barbell with weight plates from the ground to overhead, with each athlete vying to successfully lift the heaviest weights. (information is copied from this linkweightlifting )
Chidaoba is an ancient of martial arts, which is habitually in Georgia.[10]
The only race circuit in the Caucasian region is located in Georgia.Rustavi International Motorpark was originally built in 1978 and re-opened in 2012 after reconstruction[11] costing $20 million. The track satisfiesFIA Grade 2 requirements and currently hosts theLegends car racing series andFormula Alfa competitions.[12]
In recent years, several golf courses have also opened in Georgia, with the 18-hole Tbilisi Hills golf course joined by the Paragraph Tabori Golf & Spa Resort in 2025. Paragraph Tabori is partnered with global golf specialists,IMG, and is also home to a driving range, golf academy, and indoor studios to encourage new golfers in Georgia to take up the sport.[13]
Nodar Kumaritashvili (Georgian: ნოდარ ქუმარიტაშვილი; 25 November 1988 – 12 February 2010) suffered a fatal crash during a training run prior to the2010 Winter Olympics competition in Vancouver, Canada. He was the fourth athlete to die during Winter Olympics preparations in history, and the first in 18 years. The opening ceremonies of the Games, led byIOC PresidentJacques Rogge, which took place later on the fateful day, were dedicated to the 21-year-old.
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