EUSA President Mr Alberto Gualtieri and Secretary General Mr Matjaz Pecovnik visited Tbilisi on November 3, 2011 to meet the representatives of the University Sports Federation of Georgia, the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, the Georgian National Olympic Committee and the Parliament of Georgia. 

The aim of the visit was to support the national university sports association in its functioning and to discuss with the authorities the possibilities for further development of university sports in Georgia. The University Sports Federation of Georgia (USFG) has been a member of EUSA since 2008 and has started to send university teams from Georgia to EUSA events for the first time this year, with participation on European Universities Futsal and Karate Championships.
 

EUSA representatives were welcomed by Mr Nikoloz Amashukeli, the USFG President. The intensive program started with a visit to the Georgian Olympic Committee, where the EUSA representatives met its President, Mr Gia Natsvlishvili. In the fruitful discussion, Mr Gualtieri introduced EUSA activities to Mr Natsvlishvili and presented him the EUSA anniversary book.



President Natsvlishvili praised the existing cooperation with the USFG and its President Amashukeli. 'Both federations support each other. Georgia will organise the Olympic Youth Festival in 2015; and USFG will be an important partner in the project, helping in organisation of students volunteers' he added. The participants of the meeting also discussed the possibilities for organisation of one of the European Universities Championships in Georgia in the future. After the meeting, the Presidents addressed the press.


 

Later on, Mr Gualtieri and Mr Pecovnik, accompanied by Mr Amashukeli held a meeting with the Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs of Georgia, Mr Vladimir Vardzelashvili. The Minister thanked EUSA Representatives for visiting Georgia and the support given to further development of the university sports on this occasion. 'The Ministry will do its best to further support the University Sports Federation of Georgia in its activities,' he added.



At the end of the meeting Mr Gualtieri thanked Mr Vardzelashvili for his shown affection to the university sport and presented him an edition of the EUSA anniversary book. After the meeting, the participants presented the conclusions of the meeting to the members of the press and media, who intensively followed EUSA visit in Georgia.



In the afternoon, EUSA representatives paid a visit to the University Sports Centre, currently under renovation, to serve as a main sport complex for organisation of National University Championships and Leagues in different sports. At the centre, also the headquarters of the University Sports Federation of Georgia will be located.



The next meeting was held at the Parliament of Georgia, where the EUSA representatives met Mr Giorgi Asanidze, the Chairman of the Sports and Youth Issues Committee in the parliament. Mr Asanidze, who is a former medallist of the Olympic Games and World and European Champion in the weightlifting, also fully supported all the activities on the field of university sports.



At the end of the meetings, Mr Gualtieri thanked the hosts for their hospitality. 'EUSA looks forward to welcome more university teams and students from Georgia to the European Universities Championships and Games, and is ready to offer its member all the support to achieve this goal,' he concluded.