2024-05-05 21:17:26
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan participated in the awarding ceremony of the 10 best athletes of 2021. The event was attended by Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Vahram Dumanyan, Deputy Minister of KGSMS Karen Giloyan, General Secretary of the National Olympic Committee of Armenia Hrachya Rostomyan, many representatives of the Armenian sports sector.
Prime Minister Pashinyan delivered a speech in which he stated:
“Dear representatives of the sports community, dear athletes and dear coaches. first I want to thank all of you for the competitions and especially the victories during 2021.
You know that in 2021, especially all of us and our community had twice the need and need for victories. And in the socio-psychological condition that has been established in the Republic of Armenia after the 44-day war, sports performances gain more importance, they gain greater importance, state and nationwide. In this regard, especially the 2021 competitions, the participation in the competitions and the successes recorded in these competitions deserve double appreciation.
In general, I must say that our strategic perception is that sport is the most important driving force for the normal development of the country, and we are talking here not only about the development of sport itself, but also about the development of the country in general, because the successes recorded in the sports arena lead to economic success, the rise of the country recognition. Thus, the country’s economic attractiveness, touristic attractiveness increases, economic effects come. Sports successes also expand the country’s, let me say, diplomatic opportunities, because they increase the country’s international credit, making it more recognizable, more flexible, and creating greater opportunities in interstate and international relations.
Successes in the field of big sports drive more and more people to play sports, which in turn brings several effects within the country, starting with the general health of the public, because let’s note that more than 100 billion drams are spent from the state budget in our country. on healthcare. But I want to emphasize that most of this money is spent on treating people and not on preventing disease. And sport is one of the areas that will help us to overcome this problem.
Today, we have a serious problem regarding the health care of our young people, and the successes achieved in big sports by our famous athletes, I think, should also encourage young people to play sports. This is also the reason why we have adopted such a political line and promised that those who will have the title of Olympic champion, we will build sports schools named after them in any of their settlements. Moreover, we do this not only to pay tribute to our athletes, but we are also sure that such gyms will be more attractive for young people to attend and practice sports and physical education.
I have only briefly listed the parallel effects that sport brings, but I also want to go back to the very beginning. our successes in big sports are very important for our state and national pride, for restoring, increasing and developing our confidence in our state and national forces.
Once again I want to thank all the coaches, all the athletes and confirm once again that sport is indeed a strategic direction of development for us. In recent years, I think the Government’s spending in this area is very noticeable, although we understand that there is still a lot to be done, and I am sure that, according to the situation, we will continue the program of capital investments for the development of the sports sector. We hope that it will help all of you in a more and more tangible way, so that you can represent Armenia with honor in international arenas, and the Armenian flag will be raised more and more often in various corners of the world, the Armenian national anthem will be played more and more often, and at Zvartnots airport. you will be greeted by more and more cheering people.
I thank and congratulate the 10 athletes recognized as the best of 2021.”
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan presented awards to the 10 best athletes of the year: Greco-Roman wrestlers Artur Aleksanyan, Malkhas Amoyan, weightlifters Simon Martirosyan, Gor Minasyan, Varazdat Lalayan, gymnast Artur Davtyan, boxers Hovhannes Bachkov, Davit Chaloyan, freestyle wrestler Arsen Harutyunyan, chess player Elina Danielyan. : Elina Danielyan, champion of the individual European Chess Championship, was not present at the event due to participating in the World Rapid and Lightning Chess Championship being held in Warsaw these days. Zaven Andriasyan, head coach of the Armenian women’s national team, took part in the award ceremony instead.
The prize fund of the “10 best athletes of the year” competition is 50 million drams. Each athlete included in the top ten will receive 4 million drams, and another 1 million drams will be allocated to the members of their coaching staff.