Based on the joint nomination by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, the President of Georgia, Mikheil Kavelashvili, presented the Orders of Honour and Medals of Honour to the members of the national men’s handball team, as well as to the coaches, staff, and leadership of the National Handball Federation.

During the ceremony, the head of government congratulated the award recipients, including the national handball team members, coaches, and National Handball Federation representatives, while wishing them continued success.

“We can only express our heartfelt gratitude for the remarkable success you have achieved. After a 30-year wait to qualify for the European Championship, it was your generation that made this historic accomplishment possible. This is just the beginning of a new chapter in our development, one that should lead to even greater successes in Georgian handball. Georgian handball has a rich tradition, and our future achievements must be built upon these solid foundations,” stated Irakli Kobakhidze.

The Prime Minister also expressed his thanks to the handball players, Federation President Vakhtang Meiparian, Head Coach Tite Kalandadze, and all Federation employees for their significant achievements. He further discussed the government's plans to support the development of sports in Georgia.

“One of our primary priorities is the development of sports infrastructure. As sports success grows, so does interest, particularly among children, which is very encouraging. However, our infrastructure has not yet kept pace with this increasing demand. We have launched a GEL 2-billion project aimed at creating new infrastructure for both high-performance sports and mass sports. The development of handball will be a key focus within this project,” said the Prime Minister.

The award ceremony took place at the Atoneli Presidential Palace.