All posts tagged: Giorgi Meshvildishvili Silver medal

From Dangals to international podiums: How an Olympic bronze and European gold medallist cut his teeth on mud pits in Punjab, Himachal, Maharashtra | Sport-others News

From Dangals to international podiums: How an Olympic bronze and European gold medallist cut his teeth on mud pits in Punjab, Himachal, Maharashtra | Sport-others News

To the rest of the world, he is a heavyweight superstar from Azerbaijan. Across India’s fabled mud pits, though, he’s simply “Georgi Georgian”. Not that Giorgi Meshvildishvili, who changed his nationality, would mind. Earlier this month, Giorgi was crowned European champion in the 125-kg freestyle category. The continental gold came months after he won a bronze at the Paris Olympics. And while he is still basking in the afterglow of the two medals, the 32-year-old can’t stop gushing about the other prizes he’s won in India — a tractor, a bull and a Bullet motorcycle. “Very, very special,” he says. Story continues below this ad Giorgi Meshvildishvili in action. (Special arrangement) Before he found his way to international podiums, Giorgi cut his teeth on mud pits in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra. “I came to India three times and my experience was very, very nice,” Giorgi tells The Indian Express. “The dangals were extraordinary. I played against Jassa Patti, Sikandar (Sheikh) and Pritpal (Phagwara)… all of them very, very strong.” Jaskanwar Singh Gill, known as …