Giant preschoolers wrestle, eat ice cream

Wednesday, July 9, 2003 Posted: 12:56 PM EDT (1656 GMT

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) -- Wrestlers Georgy Bibilauri and Dzhambulat Khotokhov had both hoped for victory, but they settled for ice cream instead.

The pair, two of the world's largest preschoolers, proved evenly matched Wednesday in an unusual contest in the Georgian capital Tbilisi.

Khotokhov, a Russian weighing 123 pounds with a height of 3 feet 11 inches, is the world's largest 4-year-old, according to the match's organizers.

Tbilisi native Bibilauri, who turned 5 on Wednesday is 4 feet tall and weighs 112 pounds.

After the boys tied on the mat, they went off to celebrate Bibilauri's birthday with ice cream and chocolate.

Georgian wrestling champion Levan Tediashvili, who refereed the match, said he admired the boys' sportsmanship.

"They are fantastic kids," he said. "These two giants give off such positive vibes. We Russians and Georgians should follow their example."

The match's organizer, Georgian journalist Tengiz Pachkoriya, said he came up with the idea after reading a newspaper article about Khotokhov.

"They became friends after spending the day together yesterday," he said. "I hope the friendship will last many years."

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