Georgian judoka Akaki Japaridze has been banned for life from the German Judo Bundesliga after he violently punched his German opponent, Timo Cavelius, in a league tournament earlier this month.
Leipzig had already secured an overall team victory over TSV Abensberg on September 5 when Cavelius and Japaridze faced each other for the second time within an hour. In their first match-up, Japaridze had emerged victorious but the second bout belonged to the German.
Upon winning, Cavelius raised a clenched fist towards his team which was also in the direction of the Georgian. In response, Japaridze suddenly launched his attack, punching Cavelius repeatedly.
Cavelius, who works for the police in his home state of Bavaria, lost a few teeth and suffered a broken jaw. Surgeons at Leipzig University Hospital successfully fitted his jaw with three metal plates.
Japaridze has now officially been banned from competing for a club in the top division organized by the German Judo Federation (DJB). "I find that reassuring and it makes me proud, because it reflects our sport and our values. I'm therefore satisfied with the outcome of the proceedings," Bundesliga representative Pamela Bickendorf said of the decision.
But that is not the end of Japaridze's woes. According to media reports, he also faces proceedings with both his country’s judo governing body, as well as International Judo Federation. Yet his biggest headache may be the criminal investigation now ongoing in Germany.
“Anyone who steps onto the mat entrusts their physical well-being to their opponent,” Miryam Roper, DJB Board Member for High-Performance Sport, said in a statement after the attack. “This trust is the foundation of our sport. This act has not only severely injured Timo; it affects every single one of us involved in judo.”
Rubbing salt into the wound
Adding insult to injury, Akaki Japaridze defended his actions in an Instagram post.
“Any kind of physical aggression is unacceptable in sports. I am not running away from responsibility for the incident. However, I want to state clearly that this incident was not the result of emotion caused by a sports failure. In my career, there has been defeat along with victory. I have accepted defeat with dignity, and failure has never been a reason for me to be aggressive towards my opponent. The reason was different — a verbal, as well as an offensive gesture directly from the opponent, which is also completely unacceptable in sports and within the framework of sports ethics. First of all, it is unacceptable for me, as a Georgian and a man. Thank you to everyone who supports me.”
The DJB rejected his justifications. “A relativization or even defence of this serious bodily injury is unacceptable to us and incompatible with the basic principles of our sport,” the DJB said.
Cavelius now faces a recovery period of at least 10 to 12 weeks before he can safely resume fighting. Consequently, he will now miss the World Judo Championships, scheduled for October 4-11 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
