Georgi Kandelaki
Encyclopedia
Georgi Kandelaki (born April 10, 1974 in Variani
, Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Union
) is a former boxer
and current boxing administrator. He competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics
, at the 1997 World Amateur Boxing Championships
he became the first Georgian to win a World Championship, and from 2002 to 2003 held the World Boxing Union
heavyweight title.
and was introduced to boxing by his father, Tarash Kandelaki. In 1991, he completed Variani secondary school, and went on to study at the Gori State University Economics Department.
and reached the final of the World Championships
, where he lost by default to Félix Savón
.
In the 1995 World Championships
, he reached the quarter-finals having beaten Friday Ahunanya
, and again lost by default to Félix Savón.
Representing Georgia at the 1996 Summer Olympics
, he defeated Thompson Garcia
and Wojciech Bartnik
before losing to Félix Savón in the quarter-finals. In the European Championships the same year
, he lost to Christophe Mendy
in the quarter-finals.
In 1997, he fought in the super heavyweight class in the World Championships
, and defeated Vitali Boot
, Petr Horáček, Jean-Francois Bergeron and Sergei Liakhovich
to reach the final, where he won the title against Alexis Rubalcaba
.
heavyweight title. In 2003, he retired unbeaten because of an eye injury.
Variani
Variani is a village in the Gori District of Shida Kartli, about from Gori. As of 2008, it had a population of 1,500.Variani is best known for being the birthplace of Iakob Gogebashvili and the location of the Iakob Gogebashvili House Museum, being a border village to the South Ossetia disputed...
, Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
) is a former boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and current boxing administrator. He competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
, at the 1997 World Amateur Boxing Championships
1997 World Amateur Boxing Championships
The Men's 1997 World Amateur Boxing Championships were held in Budapest, Hungary from October 18 to October 26. The ninth edition of this competition, a year after the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, was organised by the world governing body for amateur boxing AIBA...
he became the first Georgian to win a World Championship, and from 2002 to 2003 held the World Boxing Union
World Boxing Union
The World Boxing Union is a boxing sanctioning body.Until recently it was fully recognised by the British Boxing Board of Control as a legitimate sanctioning body.WBU titles were particularly well recognised in Europe and Africa....
heavyweight title.
Early life
Kandelaki was born in the village of VarianiVariani
Variani is a village in the Gori District of Shida Kartli, about from Gori. As of 2008, it had a population of 1,500.Variani is best known for being the birthplace of Iakob Gogebashvili and the location of the Iakob Gogebashvili House Museum, being a border village to the South Ossetia disputed...
and was introduced to boxing by his father, Tarash Kandelaki. In 1991, he completed Variani secondary school, and went on to study at the Gori State University Economics Department.
Amateur boxing
In 1992 Kandelaki won the Junior World Championships in the heavyweight class, and in 1993 he won the European Championships1993 European Amateur Boxing Championships
The Men's 1993 European Amateur Boxing Championships were held in Bursa, Turkey from September 6 to September 12. The 30th edition of the normally bi-annual competition, in which 197 fighters from 32 countries participated this time, was organised by the European governing body for amateur boxing,...
and reached the final of the World Championships
1993 World Amateur Boxing Championships
The Men's 1993 World Amateur Boxing Championships were held in Tampere, Finland from May 7 to 16. The seventh edition of this competition, held nearly a year after the Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, was organised by the Tampere Boxing Association, member of the Finnish Boxing Association...
, where he lost by default to Félix Savón
Félix Savón
Félix Savón Fabre is a Cuban heavyweight boxer, a winner of three gold medals at the Olympic Games. Savón is considered a legend in amateur boxing and has won six world titles....
.
In the 1995 World Championships
1995 World Amateur Boxing Championships
thumb|German stamp from 1995The Men's 1995 World Amateur Boxing Championships were held in the Deutschlandhalle in Berlin, Germany from May 4 to May 15. The eighth edition of this competition, held a year before the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, was organised by the world governing body for...
, he reached the quarter-finals having beaten Friday Ahunanya
Friday Ahunanya
Friday Chinedu Ahunanya, born Friday November 19, 1971 in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, is a professional boxer. He is a journeyman heavyweight best known to beat several undefeated prospects and for his appearances on ESPN fight cards....
, and again lost by default to Félix Savón.
Representing Georgia at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Georgia at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Georgia competed in the Summer Olympic Games as an independent nation for the first time at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States...
, he defeated Thompson Garcia
Thompson García
Thompson García is a former boxer from Ecuador, competing in the heavyweight division. He was born in Esmeraldas.-Amateur:...
and Wojciech Bartnik
Wojciech Bartnik
Wojciech Bartnik was a southpaw boxer from Poland, who won a Light Heavyweight Bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics.-Amateur career:*1992 – Bronze Medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games...
before losing to Félix Savón in the quarter-finals. In the European Championships the same year
1996 European Amateur Boxing Championships
The Men's 1996 European Amateur Boxing Championships were held in Vejle, Denmark from March 30 to April 7. The 31st edition of the bi-annual competition, in which 304 fighters from 35 countries participated this time, was organised by the European governing body for amateur boxing, EABA.- Medal...
, he lost to Christophe Mendy
Christophe Mendy
Christophe Mendy is a retired boxer who competed for France in the heavyweight division during the 1990s. He won the bronze medal at the 1995 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Berlin, Germany, where he was defeated in the semifinals by Cuban legend Félix Savón...
in the quarter-finals.
In 1997, he fought in the super heavyweight class in the World Championships
1997 World Amateur Boxing Championships
The Men's 1997 World Amateur Boxing Championships were held in Budapest, Hungary from October 18 to October 26. The ninth edition of this competition, a year after the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, was organised by the world governing body for amateur boxing AIBA...
, and defeated Vitali Boot
Vitali Boot
Vitali Boot is a German amateur boxer best known to win the bronze medal at super heavyweight at the 2001 World Amateur Boxing Championships. There he beat Poland's Grzegorz Kielsa , but lost to eventual winner Ruslan Chagaev....
, Petr Horáček, Jean-Francois Bergeron and Sergei Liakhovich
Sergei Liakhovich
Sergei "White Wolf" Liakhovich , is a Belarusian boxer and a former WBO heavyweight boxing champion.-Amateur career:Liakhovich, who represented Belarus at the 1996 Olympic Games, was a long-time amateur who won Bronze at the 1997 World Championships....
to reach the final, where he won the title against Alexis Rubalcaba
Alexis Rubalcaba
Alexis Rubalcaba is a retired boxer from Cuba, who competed in the Super Heavyweight division. He twice represented his native country at the Summer Olympics: in 1996 and 2000. One of his biggest achievements in amateur boxing was winning the gold medal at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg,...
.
Professional boxing
In 1998, Kandelaki started boxing as a professional for Panix Promotions. In 2002, he won the World Boxing UnionWorld Boxing Union
The World Boxing Union is a boxing sanctioning body.Until recently it was fully recognised by the British Boxing Board of Control as a legitimate sanctioning body.WBU titles were particularly well recognised in Europe and Africa....
heavyweight title. In 2003, he retired unbeaten because of an eye injury.