Jano Bagrationi (1938–2022) was one of Georgia’s most respected sports figures, an athlete, educator, and lifelong builder of institutions dedicated to raising strong, disciplined young people.
His journey began on the handball court. Playing for Tbilisi’s Burevestnik club, he became USSR champion in 1964, adding three silver medals in 1965, 1966, and 1967, along with a bronze. But for Bagrationi, competing was never just about winning. When his playing career ended, he moved into coaching, training young athletes and helping to develop women’s handball in Georgia. It was there that his real purpose took shape. Coaching, he believed, was about more than results; it was about building discipline, responsibility, and character in every person he worked with
That belief carried him back to his own university, the Georgian Polytechnic Institute, where he headed the Department of Physical Education from 1973 to 1984. For over a decade, he shaped how young Georgians were trained, combining athletic development with education, and publishing 18 scientific papers and a monograph along the way.
From there, his work expanded to the national stage. He led the Tbilisi Sports Committee, served as Deputy Minister of Sport and Tourism, and helped guide Georgian sport through some of its most difficult years following independence.
In 1996, he was elected President of the Georgian National Olympic Committee, a position he held for two terms until 2004, guiding Georgia’s presence on the international Olympic stage. In recognition of this work, he received the Order of the International Olympic Committee — one of the movement’s highest honors. He later founded and chaired the Georgian Olympic Fund, building a lasting system of financial support for Georgian athletes.
In recognition of his decades-long contribution to Georgian sport, athlete development, and the training of coaches and specialists, Bagrationi received some of Georgia’s highest honors:
HONORS
WHY WE CARRY HIS NAME
Jano Bagrationi’s path from athlete to coach, from educator to national leader shows what real development looks like: true success comes when knowledge is joined by discipline, hard work, responsibility, teamwork, and leadership.
He believed that a child’s development includes body, mind, and character alike and he devoted his entire life to that belief.
JBS carries that same standard forward. His name reminds us, every day, that raising strong, capable young people is not incidental it is the result of deliberate effort, consistent structure, and genuine care for the next generation