Valter Sanaya

Walter Vissarionovich Sanaja (Russian Вальтер Виссарионович Саная; * September 24, 1925 in Ochamchyra, Abkhazian SSR; † 29 October 1999, Moscow) was a Soviet football goalkeeper. His last name is also specified in the spellings Sanaia and Sanaya.

Life and career

Sanaja was in the youth of Dinamo Tbilisi, before he started his professional career at Dinamo Sukhumi. From 1944 he was in the team of Dinamo Tbilisi, before he moved to the then top team of Dynamo Moscow in 1946. In 1949, he was with the Brussels residents of Soviet football champions. In Moscow Sanaja first competed with Alexei Chomitsch for the post of master goalkeeper.

When in 1949 the later Star Goalkeeper Lev Yashin was brought into the first team of Dynamo Moscow, Sanaja came to getting a few missions because of strong competition. In 1954 he finally moved back to Dinamo Tbilisi, before he trailed off from 1955 to 1956 his career at Neftjanik Baku.

His daughter Marina Sanaja was a figure skater and competed for the Soviet Union at the Olympic Games in 1972.

Walter Sanaja died in 1999 in Moscow.