NARDARAN, Azerbaijan (August 28) -- No Indian wrestler is competing at the Beach Wrestling World Series in Baku, Azerbaijan.
But Tedore EBANOIDZE (GEO) is carrying with him the skills he learnt on the sands of India.
The name Ebanoidze may not strike a chord with wrestling fans in India. But "Tedo Georgia" certainly will.
It did with Ebanoidze, too, when called by that name in Baku. He beamed and turned around, looking for the voice that had called him by the name he became known by in India.
For anyone who follows India's dangals, the traditional wrestling competitions on sand where a fall is the only way to win, Tedo Georgia is a familiar name.
From 2018 to 2020, Ebanoidze spent much of his time in India, travelling from one dangal to another and taking on some of the country's strongest wrestlers. He became a familiar figure in the wrestling centres of northern India and Maharashtra, and a successful one too, winning more than 20 motorcycles, bulls and cash prizes since he arrived in 2018.
Foreign wrestlers had competed in India's traditional kushti contests before. Usually, they came for a tournament or two and went home. Ebanoidze stayed and trained at the Mullanpur akhada in Chandigarh, followed the competition season and competed alongside the local wrestlers. As he became a regular feature in dangals, Tedore Ebanoidze from Georgia became Tedo Georgia.
He had return to Georgia during the COVID-19 pandemic before he returned to India four years ago. While not at the top now, Ebanoidze still gets bouts with ease and was competing a couple of months ago.
Tedore EBANOIDZE (GEO) wrestles Ravan MUSAYEV (AZE) in the +90kg bouts. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)
On Friday, the 110kg Georgian was back on the sand in Baku, sporting a slightly gray beard. But little had changed about the way he wrestled.
Ebanoidze lost his opening bout in the men's +90kg weight category to Vazha DAIAURI (UKR). His second bout, against Ravan MUSAYEV (AZE), was a must-win.
Musayev caught him from behind but Ebanoidze immediately dropped into a quad-pod position, supporting himself on his hands and feet and keeping his body from being turned. It is a defensive position familiar in kushti. Rather than trying to push Ebanoidze out, Musayev attacked his leg and forced his knee onto the sand.
There were about 20 seconds left, and Ebanoidze needed a point of his own to win. After a short burst, Ebanoidze caught Musayev and drove him out of bounds to make it 1-1. He won on the last-point criteria and moved into Saturday's semifinals.
“Kushti is longer than 30 minutes with heavy wrestlers on you,” he said. “Three minutes is no work for me. My grip on sand is better, as you learn in mud. I like beach wrestling as it is very similar to our dangal."
Ebanoidze will now face Jamal FEYZIYEV (AZE), a 160kg wrestler who won both his bouts on Friday. If he loses his semifinals, Ebanoidze will have to wait for the bronze-medal bout.
Tedore EBANOIDZE (GEO), right, competing at the Beach Wrestling World Series in Batumi. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)
He is competing in Beach Wrestling for only the second time, having made his debut at the Beach Wrestling World Series in Batumi. He lost the bronze-medal bout to Mamuka KORDZAIA (GEO), a former winner of the BWWS Finals.
"I was a Freestyle wrestler and even won silver at U20 World Championships," he says. "You need to train every day, be serious.
"Beach wrestling is not like that. I can smile. I can let go. I can do the same in dangal and in Beach Wrestling and be relaxed."
The 36-year-old has found will now look to win his first medal at the BWWS on Saturday. But he is not done yet. After Baku, Ebanoidze will return to Georgia and then travel to Chandigarh for dangals as India's festive season begins. With it comes the dangal calendar, with competitions scheduled almost every day. For a top wrestler, the rewards can be significant, with prize money and donations amounting to several thousand dollars for the winner.
He already has some bouts lined up in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir before he returns for Beach Wrestling.
“After this competition, I will go back to India and compete,” he said. “But I will return for the BWWS stop in Greece next month.”
