Zurab Datunashvili, a former Serbian representative in wrestling and bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympic Games, was arrested in his hometown of Tbilisi during a protest.
During mass protests against the Georgian government, following the decision to suspend negotiations on accession to the European Union until 2028, he was detained after a clash with the police.
According to media reports, he suffered injuries to his neck and stomach.
But who is Zurab Datunashvili, and how did he end up winning medals under the Serbian flag?
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Born in Tbilisi on June 18, 1991, he started wrestling in his hometown, where he also achieved his first major career success, reaching the final of the 2013 European Championship, which Georgia hosted, where the current Olympic champion from London, Russian Roman Vlasov, was better than him.
Successes followed, and Datunashvili, under the Georgian national flag, managed to win the gold medal in 2016 in Lithuania and in 2017 in Novi Sad.
In addition to winning medals, he also attracted attention with a fight at the 2016 European Nations Cup when he “crossed fists” with Imil Sharafetdinov from Russia.
However, despite the fact that it was clear that the best was yet to come, in January 2019, a major incident occurred after which the Georgian decided to no longer compete under the flag of the country in which he was born.
The date was January 11th, and the Sports Palace in Tbilisi was the site of the Georgian national wrestling championship in Greco-Roman style. In the final, Datunashvili and Robert Kobliashvili, a multiple European and world champion, met. The referee’s decision was such that Kobliashvili won the match, which caused a great revolt and protests, then a verbal altercation, after which a real brawl ensued.
The situation got out of control when the president of the Georgian Wrestling Federation, Gega Gegeshidze, rushed between the quarreling parties and hit Datunashvili in the head with an iron object.
Gegeshidze was arrested and soon after released on bail, while Datunashvili decided in 2020 to leave his country and then accepted an invitation from Serbia, where he also ended his career.
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Source: Nova.rs, Photo: mickulakov/Twitter/Printscreen