The GFF Varketili Football Centre in Tbilisi has a new mini-pitch, which was funded by the FIFA Arena project. The opening ceremony for the new pitch was attended by GFF President Levan Kobiashvili, Deputy Minister of Culture and Sport Irakli Medzmariashvili, GFF General Secretary David Mujiri, First Vice-President Kakha Chumburidze, Technical Director Zaza Zamtaradze, FIFA Member Associations Chief Officer Elkhan Mammadov and Football in Schools project manager Nico Nuvanasaki, as well as former players and children from local football schools.
Opening speeches were made by Levan Kobiashvili, Irakli Medzmariashvili and Elkhan Mammadov. FIFA President Gianni Infantino also addressed the attendees through a video recording.
The new pitch will be used by local football schools and teams involved in the Football in Schools project. Georgia is the first country to benefit from the new FIFA Arena project, which will also involve construction of a similar pitch in the GFF Gldani Football Centre.
“Every new football pitch in Georgia is important for us. We are delighted to be the first country to benefit from the new FIFA Arena project. This is another indication that football development in Georgia is on the right path, and FIFA has played a vital role in this regard. We have implemented numerous projects with their support. We are proud of the fact that FIFA Arena was launched in Georgia.
This will further motivate children to play football, enjoy the beautiful game and make our country proud in the future. GFF will continue on the path to success through the development of football infrastructure and the grassroots game.
I would like to thank our guests from FIFA who are visiting Tbilisi for this occasion, as well as FIFA President Gianni Infantino for continuously supporting our country” – Levan Kobiashvili (GFF President).
“Congratulations to the Georgian Football Federation and President Levan Kobiashvili. Georgia is in the “Starting Eleven” of countries that are officially inaugurating a mini-pitch under the new FIFA Arena project.
This project will change the lives of millions of children. Every boy and every girl deserves a chance to play football, and to have a safe space to learn the game and develop themselves. That is the idea behind FIFA Arena. This new pitch is your gift to Georgian children. You are the first, but you will soon be followed by other countries. Our goal is to install 1000 new pitches around the world. The FIFA Arena team will ensure that future generations, and particularly disadvantaged children in urban and rural areas, get the opportunity to play the game. Good luck, and enjoy playing football” – Gianni Infantino (FIFA President).
“On behalf of FIFA, we are delighted to be here, and to cooperate with the Georgian Football Federation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank GFF President Levan Kobiashvili, General Secretary David Mujiri and the GFF administration. We have managed to deliver this pitch in a short period of time.
The FIFA Arena project was announced by Gianni Infantino last year. Its goal is to install 1000 mini-pitches across the whole world. Three months ago, we announced the “Starting Eleven,” and today we are kicking off this project here in Tbilisi. It gives boys and girls the opportunity to play football. We believe that the more they play, and the more opportunities we create for them, the more we can promote the healthy lifestyle” – Elkhan Mammadov (FIFA Member Associations Chief Officer).
“This is the first pitch to be installed in Georgia under the new FIFA Arena project. I would like to thank FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Levan Kobiashvili and the whole football community that is helping to develop the game in our country” – Irakli Medzmariashvili (Deputy Minister of Sport of Georgia).
