TAMAZI CHAKHUNASHVILI AKA ‘TAZO’

Where do you come from?

I was born in the beautiful mountainous country of Georgia and grew up in a small village called Dikhaskho in the municipality of Vani. I come from an educated family. My mum is a teacher of maths and computer programming, and my dad is an engineer.

What about your education?

When I finished school, I went to Akaki Tsereteli State University, to study in the faculty of agriculture. I grew up in the countryside so nature means everything to me. I’ve always liked to take care of the trees and I’ve always had a strong affinity with land, fields and meadows. My grandfather was an agronomist [soil management and crop production expert]. We had a strong bond and I wanted to follow in his footsteps.

How did you enjoy spending your time when you lived in Georgia?

All my life, I’ve done sports – eight years of football and ten years of volleyball. I couldn’t imagine a day when I wouldn’t play. That was the most important thing to me. Unfortunately, after a few injuries playing football, I decided to leave it behind despite having reached a high level.

What was it like when you came to Scotland?

When I came to Scotland, I didn’t have a lot of friends here. With time, I met some very good people and I call them my friends now. They also are into sports and they invited me to play volleyball with them.

How do you find living in Govanhill?

I moved to Govanhill in June. I like this area. It’s quiet where I live. My flat is just a few minutes walk from the Queen’s Park rec, where my team won this year’s volleyball tournament. There were some excellent professional teams competing against us, but we were the best and that fills me with pride.

Do you think you’ve settled here for good?

I want to return to Georgia. I’ve got a big house there with a big yard. I love my country and that’s where I can see myself grow old. One day, I’d like to marry a Georgian woman and create a family. I hope we will live happily in close proximity to my parents, so that I can look after them. My family means everything to me.

Why should people visit Georgia?

We’re a small, extremely hospitable and picturesque country. Our people are warm, always helpful and smiling. We have some breathtaking locations and good weather. If you like water, we’ve got the Black Sea; if you’re into climbing, we’ve got the Caucasus mountains with peaks over 5000 metres tall. Our language is very special, too. It uses a beautiful script and features some unique sounds that you can challenge yourself to pronounce. We’re known for our cuisine, too, so make sure you try my favourite, khachapuri (cheese breads) and khinkali (dumplings) when you visit!