The FINANCIAL — The company Wissol has invested about 25 million GEL in the development of Georgian sports.
Wissol Group is at the moment working on the development of sports infrastructure and projects in the country including: Football Club Torpedo Kutaisi; Avaza Football School; 4 sports complexes in Tbilisi; Fitness Centre Laguna Kutaisi; the training base of Torpedo Kutaisi and Football Academy of Children. In total Wissol has invested 10 million GEL in developing the team and infrastructure of Torpedo Kutaisi. Wissol acquired legendary football club Torpedo Kutaisi in August 2010.
Supporting Georgian Sports has become a cornerstone of Wissol’s CSR activities according to company officials. Wissol has built 4 of the most modern sports centres at different locations in Tbilisi. Within the framework of the project 3 rugby stadiums and 4 modern football pitches have been constructed. Wissol has also built a 200 meter open, modern cycle track in Didi Digomi, developed a sports complex for wrestling and judo sports and an in-house sports complex for playing and conducting matches in mini-football, basketball and volleyball.
As the company notes, sports complexes care for the healthy future of up to 3,000 children in total every month. Wissol developed the sports complex Laguna in Kutaisi, which with its infrastructure, technical equipment, relaxation and recreational environment motivates its customers to follow a healthy lifestyle and appreciate absolute comfort. Laguna offers services such as: swimming pools, a fitness centre, massage room, sauna, beauty salon and solarium.
“Wissol invested 25 million GEL in the development of Georgian sports. The huge amount of money that Wissol has invested in sports development in the country is truly unprecedented. This fact didn’t come about by accident. Supporting and developing sport in the country and overall proves the love and aim that our group has for Georgia and Georgian sports. Among many sports projects the most important one is the development of Torpedo Kutaisi. This club really is a great treasure of our history, and Wissol will take all the steps necessary to make it Georgian football’s dream team,” said Levan Pkhakadze, Deputy Head of the Advisory Board at Wissol, and the Kutaisi Torpedo President.
Last week company Wissol represented Gia Geguchadze, one of the most successful Georgian sportsmen and coach who will be the new chief coach of Kutaisi Torpedo. Geguchadze recently resigned from the post of chief coach of Football Club Zestaponi.
“The coach signed a 5-year contract with the club according to which he will train all the different aged teams of the club. We have invited one of the most experienced coaches in Georgia to train our football club. This fact proves that Wissol has quite long term plans in place for Georgian sports development. FC Torpedo Kutaisi will become the most flourishing football club in Georgia as it is ruled by the most successful company in Georgia – Wissol – and has the most experienced and successful coach at its head. I am sure that all this together will bring about very promising results,” Pkhakadze said.
“It’s a little early to speak about the very tough changes taking place in the club. We will study and look more closely at the situation in the team and then we will start speaking of concrete changes. It is an unavoidable process that a new coach brings new football players to the team. All coaches have their own opinion of what kind of football a club should play. In this case those footballers who are needed for the clubs’ future success become highly in demand,” said Gia Geguchadze, Chief Coach of Torpedo Kutaisi.
“In general it’s a very important initiative of company Wissol that it does its best for the development of Georgian sports. We can see that the company does much work on helping, supporting and developing varieties of sport. Wissol regularly makes huge investments in improving the quality of sport in Georgia. I am really thankful to Wissol for having faith in me and for having offered me the position of chief coach of Torpedo Kutaisi. I do think that this club has quite large prospects and can achieve a great deal in the future,” Geguchadze said.
In 2009 Wissol also established the football club “Wissol Avaza”.
“I welcome all the plans and projects of company Wissol in terms of sports development. If there were a legislative initiative from the Government of Georgia that would encourage companies like Wissol, it would be an additional stimulating factor for different organizations. I have to remark on the fact that the company Wissol has put huge investments in Georgian sports which is really encouraging a healthy lifestyle amongst the Georgian people,” said George Asanidze, Chairman of the Georgian Parliamentary Sports and Youth Affairs Committee.
“Wissol strategically and strongly governs one of the most successful football clubs in Georgia – Torpedo Kutaisi. We can see that Wissol has done its absolute best in terms of infrastructure development and Torpedo Kutaisi has one of the best training bases of Georgian football clubs. I have to wish success to Torpedo Kutaisi and the company Wissol,” Asanidze told The FINANCIAL.
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