Tbilisi won the women’s title and Batumi grabbed the men’s gold at the national snow volleyball championships of Georgia, held in Bakuriani from Saturday to Tuesday.

Situated at 1,700 metres above sea level at the foot of the breathtaking Caucasus Mountains, Bakuriani is the country’s established hot spot for the spectacular winter discipline and once again welcomed Georgia’s snow volleyball elite to determine the 2023 national champions. The Georgian resort also hosted a CEV Snow Volleyball European Tour event three times, in 2018, 2019 and 2020, and an Eastern European Volleyball Zonal Association (EEVZA) Snow Volleyball Tour stop in 2020.

The women’s National Championship 2023 took place over the weekend with the participation of eight teams. In Sunday’s final, the Tbilisi team, consisting of Elene Chumburidze, Nina Tsertsvadze and Tinatin Zhgenti, produced a 2-0 (15-10, 15-11) shutout of Bolnisi 1, leaving Karine Tutkhaliani, Mariam Sarqisiani, Nana Andiashvili and Tamta Samadashvili with the silver medals. For Tsertsvadze and Zhgenti, it was the second national title in a row. Last year they triumphed as members of Tbilisi’s University of Georgia squad.

The team of Kutaisi 1, with Elene Sokhadze, Lizi Kvachantiradze, Sesili Kasrashvili and Tekla Maghlaperidze on the squad, celebrated with bronze medals after a 2-0 (15-4, 15-11) sweep of Naculi. In the semifinals earlier on Sunday, Tbilisi mastered a 2-0 (15-7, 15-10) win over Naculi, while Bolnisi 1 defeated Kutaisi 1 in a hard-fought tie-breaker, 2-1 (16-14, 6-15, 16-14).

10 teams took part in the men’s competition on Monday and Tuesday. Batumi’s squad, featuring Abuser Abuseridze, Data Chachua, Luka Chalialidze and Merab Dolidze, snatched the crown after a 2-0 (15-5, 15-7) blowout in the final against Kutaisi with Beka Lobzhanidze, Roini Dzneladze, Saba Abramishvili and Zviadi Bulauri on the roster.

Last year’s champions Tsageri won the bronze medal match in straight sets, 2-0 (15-13, 15-12) over last year’s bronze medallists STU Tbilisi, the team of the Georgian Technical University. Tsageri’s squad included Davit Meladze, Giorgi Burduli, Ilia Gureshidze and Mikheil Buzaladze.

In their semifinal earlier on Tuesday, Batumi had to resort to a tie-breaker set to overcome STU on the way to a 2-1 (15-12, 8-15, 15-12) victory. The other semifinal was resolved in two sets, but the second was pushed deep into overtime before Kutaisi could celebrate a 2-0 (15-9, 20-18) win over Tsageri.