Tal Flicker overcomes Georgian newcomer Tutashvili

Tal Flicker of Israel was made to grind out a win in the U66kg final as he met a determined IJF World Judo Tour debutant Giorgi Tutashvili of Georgia in the gold medal contest. During the break Former world bronze medallist Flicker said he’d never seen or head of his fellow finalist and that was because the 20-year-old was appearing on the IJF circuit for the first time in Tbilisi.

A waza-ari for Flicker was the difference after four minutes after an exciting final against the unranked Georgian who can expect to be called upon again in the very near future.

In the first semi-final Flicker defeated world number 226 Ismayil Ibrahimov (AZE) in golden score when the Azeri was giving his marching orders after three shidos. In the second semi-final world number 143 Jasleen Singh Saini (IND) lost a thriller against Tutashvili (GEO) which was the best contest in the preliminary rounds. Saini went behind to a waza-ari score and was penalised twice for failing to tidy up his judogi of his own accord. The Indian revelation picked up the young Georgian to score a dramatic waza-ari and force the semi-final into golden score. Tutashvili added a second and match-winning waza-ari score after two minutes of additional time.

The first bronze medal was won by Rome European Open bronze medallist Daniel Perez Roman (ESP) who claimed his first IJF World Judo Tour medal at the expense of SAINI who was bidding to accomplish the same feat. Perez Roman pinned down the Indian judoka for a second waza-ari to win Spain’s first medal of the competition.                                        

The second bronze medal went to Ekaterinburg Grand Slam bronze medallist Bagrati Niniashvili (GEO) who clinched back-to-back IJF World Judo Tour medals by sending Ibrahimov over for ippon with an o-soto-makikomi.