Diament Garwolin
Chokheli Retirement Special
Written 2 November 2013, 20:40
At the ripe old age of 36, after an incredible 43 seasons, the Diamonds’ iconic centre-forward, Besarion Chokheli, retired from football today. Crowds gathered around the Stadium of Bigo & Starzoom to give a great send-off to the most prolific Diament Garwolin player ever.
Everything about Chokheli was special, starting with the way he joined the club. Disappointed with the value for money provided by strikers on the market, Lord Radz decided to personally scout Georgian frontmen playing for other clubs.
By blind luck, it wasn’t too long before he stumbled upon a 26 year old sniper from Suppe FC (then Tuborg Unitet). Noticing that Tuborg’s manager had only paid 15,000C for Chokheli, who was now worth much more, Radz placed a bid of 45,000C – which was, amazingly, accepted!
From that moment on, Besarion was the Diamonds’ first choice CF, and there was no-one who got close to taking the coveted number 13 shirt from him.
He firmly cemented his place on the team-sheet from the very beginning, scoring 7 in his first 2 games for the club.
One of the player’s finest moments came in the first One Nation Team World Cup. In the 2nd leg of the Wooden Spoon final, with the score 2-2 on aggregate and the Diamonds down to 10 men, Chokheli broke away against the run of play and scored in the 88th minute to earn Georgia the win to the stunned silence of England (Leam Lane FC) fans. He was also named overall top scorer for the competition, with 16 goals!
Besarion continued to impress in the league and in internationals, leading Diament Garwolin to German Division 5 and scoring in 6 successive editions of the ONTWC, a feat only matched by Finland’s Mika Ilmonen and Osku Huopio.
It was very fitting that in his last game for the club, Besarion Chokheli scored the only goal in a 1-0 away win against The Quintoz, dispossessing centre-back Ambrosio Poejo and slotting calmly past a helpless Etien Thulliez in the 19th minute – the standing ovation that followed brought a tear to many an eye in the stadium, including the Diamonds’ manager Lord Radz.
The Incredible Besarion Chokheli – Statistics
Name: Besarion Chokheli
Nation: Georgia
Preferred Foot: Left
Shirt No: 13
Height: 189cm
Weight: 105kg
Biggest Transfer Fee: 175,001C (Barca Forever to Crazy Angels)
Career Totals
Career Appearances: 2058
Career Goals: 1614
Career Assists: 227
Career MotM Awards: 289
Goals per Game Average: 0.78
For Diament Garwolin
Appearances: 1070
Goals: 1211
Goals in the ONTWC: At least 46, exact number unknown
Assists: 94
MotM Awards: 229
Goals per Game Average: 1.13
We wish Besarion Chokheli the very best for the future!
Up the Diamonds!
Everything about Chokheli was special, starting with the way he joined the club. Disappointed with the value for money provided by strikers on the market, Lord Radz decided to personally scout Georgian frontmen playing for other clubs.
By blind luck, it wasn’t too long before he stumbled upon a 26 year old sniper from Suppe FC (then Tuborg Unitet). Noticing that Tuborg’s manager had only paid 15,000C for Chokheli, who was now worth much more, Radz placed a bid of 45,000C – which was, amazingly, accepted!
From that moment on, Besarion was the Diamonds’ first choice CF, and there was no-one who got close to taking the coveted number 13 shirt from him.
He firmly cemented his place on the team-sheet from the very beginning, scoring 7 in his first 2 games for the club.
One of the player’s finest moments came in the first One Nation Team World Cup. In the 2nd leg of the Wooden Spoon final, with the score 2-2 on aggregate and the Diamonds down to 10 men, Chokheli broke away against the run of play and scored in the 88th minute to earn Georgia the win to the stunned silence of England (Leam Lane FC) fans. He was also named overall top scorer for the competition, with 16 goals!
Besarion continued to impress in the league and in internationals, leading Diament Garwolin to German Division 5 and scoring in 6 successive editions of the ONTWC, a feat only matched by Finland’s Mika Ilmonen and Osku Huopio.
It was very fitting that in his last game for the club, Besarion Chokheli scored the only goal in a 1-0 away win against The Quintoz, dispossessing centre-back Ambrosio Poejo and slotting calmly past a helpless Etien Thulliez in the 19th minute – the standing ovation that followed brought a tear to many an eye in the stadium, including the Diamonds’ manager Lord Radz.
The Incredible Besarion Chokheli – Statistics
Name: Besarion Chokheli
Nation: Georgia
Preferred Foot: Left
Shirt No: 13
Height: 189cm
Weight: 105kg
Biggest Transfer Fee: 175,001C (Barca Forever to Crazy Angels)
Career Totals
Career Appearances: 2058
Career Goals: 1614
Career Assists: 227
Career MotM Awards: 289
Goals per Game Average: 0.78
For Diament Garwolin
Appearances: 1070
Goals: 1211
Goals in the ONTWC: At least 46, exact number unknown
Assists: 94
MotM Awards: 229
Goals per Game Average: 1.13
We wish Besarion Chokheli the very best for the future!
Up the Diamonds!
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