2024-04-19 21:50:35
RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Vahram Dumanyan received today the athletes who won medals in the World U23 World Wrestling and Women’s European Adult Boxing Championships.
The meeting was attended by Karen Giloyan, the deputy minister of the KGMS, representatives of the wrestling and boxing federations of Armenia, coaches and athletes: the first European women’s boxing champion Ani Hovsepyan, bronze medalist Sona Harutyunyan, U23 world wrestling champions Arsen Harutyunyan, Vazgen Tevanyan, vice-champion Gevorg Tadevosyan, bronze medalist medal winners Arman Avagyan, Hrachya Poghosyan and others.
Welcoming the athletes and coaches, Vahram Dumanyan congratulated them and thanked them for their hard work. “I’m glad to see you here and to hear about your success. I hope and am sure that the winning streak will continue to the Olympic heights. In these difficult times, your victories cheer our people. I am proud of you and thank you very much for your dedicated work. Rest assured that our range of features, which are growing every year, will do the best for you. Be sure that your work is appreciated and you are always in the center of the state’s attention,” said Vahram Dumanyan.
Karen Giloyan, the deputy minister of KGSMS, also highly appreciated the sportsmen’s performances and their recorded results. “I am sure that the victories will be more important in the future, because both coaches and athletes, as well as the state, are doing their best for this. The Olympic Games are coming soon, and the expectations are very high.”
During the meeting, the medal-winning athletes and coaches summarized their speeches and spoke about their impressions.
In particular, the head coach of the women’s boxing team, Rafael Mehrabyan, emphasized that for years he dreamed that one of the Armenian sportswomen would stand on the top step of the honor platform. “This is the result of years of hard work. After the World Championship, I told the girls that if they failed at the next competition and did not win a medal, I would leave the team. The girls started crying and I couldn’t hold back my excitement either. I am very happy for this result and thank our female athletes. Now the goal is to participate in the Paris Olympic Games and the medal fight. We will spare nothing and do everything to achieve our goal.”
According to Ani Hovsepyan, he still does not believe that he has been declared the champion of the European Championship. “I waited a long time for the medal. I had inexplicable feelings when I touched the gold medal in my hand. I’m very happy and proud, but I still don’t believe that I’m the European champion.”
The head coach of the freestyle wrestling team Habetnak Kurghinyan summarized the world U23 championship, where his athletes won 2 gold and 1 bronze medal. “There was no doubt that Arsen Harutyunyan and Vazgen Tevanyan would be the champions. In this championship, their order and advantage over other participants was very big, and they should definitely win. Not only at the U23 level, but also at the senior level, they are a very serious competitor for anyone. Arman Avagyan performed well and beat the reigning European senior champion in the bronze medal wrestling match. Other representatives of our team could also win medals, but we have what we have. This result is also satisfactory.”
Armen Babalaryan, the head coach of the Greco-Roman style wrestling team, while summarizing the results of the U23 World Championship, said: “We were 7th in the world in the team fight, but our expectations were higher. We were satisfied with 3 medals: 1 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze. Thank you for the welcome and for this meeting. It is important to feel that the state and the management are behind the athletes.”
Freestyle wrestler Arsen Harutyunyan, who was declared the U23 world champion for the second time in his career, emphasized that their victories are due to the work of their coaches. “Thanks to my coaches for being by my side. We still have a long way to go together. I will believe in my coaches until the end and I want them to believe in me and we will be able to realize our dreams.”
KGS Minister Vahram Dumanyan informed that in the history of recent years, we had the maximum number of medals in 2019, when our young, young and adult athletes won a total of 222 medals in the world, European championships and international tournaments. During 2022, RA athletes have already won 285 medals, 100 of which are gold. “These records are yours. Expectations are still high this year. I thank you for your efforts,” the minister of CGMS summed up.
Vahram Dumanyan also emphasized the efforts of the RA government aimed at the development of mass sports, stressing that the athletes who are recognized as the best in such tournaments can later join big sports as well.