AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.agbu.org
Friday, December 8, 2006
29th Annual AGBU South American Games Gather Hundreds of Enthusiasts in
Montevideo / Montevideo Youth Group Also Celebrates 60th Anniversary
Commemorating both AGBU's Centennial and the 60th Anniversary of AGBU
Montevideo's Liga de Jóvenes [youth group], the local Chapter
attracted hundreds of sporting enthusiasts from July 12-16, 2006, for
the highly anticipated AGBU 29th South American Olympic Games. A winter
tradition that aims to unite the continent's young Armenians, the event
is hosted annually in Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Montevideo or São Paolo.
The Inaugural Ceremony for the Games was held on July 12 in the Misak
Kouyoumdjian Gymnasium of the local Alex Manoogian Center. Among the
opening's guests were Under-Secretary of the Uruguayan Ministry of Sport
and Tourism, Lilian Kechichian; Cordoba Chapter Chairman, Ricardo
Erezian; Buenos Aires Chapter General Secretary, Antonio Sarafian;
Representative of the São Paolo Chapter's Executive Council, Monica
Nalbandian; Archbishop Hagop Kelendjian; and Father Obed Boyadjian, who
gave the invocation for the commencement of the event; and members of
the current Montevideo Chapter Committee. Pairing athletics with
culture, the ceremony also included performances by a marching band and
a dance troupe consisting of students from the Montevideo AGBU Nubarian
Manoogian School, along with an electrifying roller-blading number by
the Chapter's youth group, and the Olympiad torch lighting.
Following a warm welcome by Masters of Ceremony, Pablo Karslian and
Valeria Momdjian, Lilian Kechichian addressed the young athletes on
behalf of the national Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and then passed
the podium to Karine Keussayan, a representative of the Montevideo Liga.
To lead off the competitions, the final event of the evening was a
soccer match between Montevideo and São Paolo, with the home team
coming out ahead of their Brazilian counterparts - winning 8-3.
The competition continued the next morning with men's ping-pong and
chess, followed by women's ping-pong and a heated backgammon
competition. Track-and-field activities started off the afternoon, along
with team sports, such as junior and senior indoor soccer, volleyball
and basketball, at the Misak Kouyoumdjian Gymnasium. As in the past, the
Games attracted a capacity audience, and fostered a feeling of
camaraderie among the participants and spectators alike.
On the evening of July 14, a sold-out show, entitled The Sounds of Your
Music, was held in the Crystal Room of the Uruguayan capital's Manoogian
Center. The AGBU Grung Choir, directed by Maestro Alvaro Hagopian and
consisting of over 30 members, kicked off the evening. Other highlights
included a kamancha performance by Nshte Boyadjian, and a finale by the
Armenian rock band, Los Garabedutiun. The festivities continued in the
same venue the following evening with the closing dinner gala.
The Games concluded on Sunday, July 16, with a farewell luncheon and
trophy ceremony. Each athlete also received a commemorative medal for
his/her participation in the 29th Annual AGBU South American Games.
The Montevideo Youth Group continued the celebration of its 60th
Anniversary with a dinner banquet on November 17, 2006, at the local
Center. Organized by the Chapter's youth, the evening was attended by
hundreds of supporters, members and former Liga Chairmen. To enhance the
festive occasion, the current youth group members staged a surprise
cultural program, which included a theatrical skit and tango performance
depicting the early years and evolvement of AGBU Liga de Jóvenes in
Uruguay's capital.
Founded in 1906, AGBU has played a pivotal role in preserving and
promoting the Armenian identity and heritage for a century.
Headquartered in New York City with an annual budget of $34 million,
AGBU is today's largest Armenian non-profit, annually serving 400,000
Armenians in 37 countries through educational, cultural and humanitarian
programs.
For more information on AGBU Montevideo, please visit www.ugab.org.uy,
email [email protected], or call the AGBU Alex Manoogian Center,
located in Montevideo, Uruguay at +598.2209.8810.
For more information on AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit
www.agbu.org.
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.agbu.org
Friday, December 8, 2006
29th Annual AGBU South American Games Gather Hundreds of Enthusiasts in
Montevideo / Montevideo Youth Group Also Celebrates 60th Anniversary
Commemorating both AGBU's Centennial and the 60th Anniversary of AGBU
Montevideo's Liga de Jóvenes [youth group], the local Chapter
attracted hundreds of sporting enthusiasts from July 12-16, 2006, for
the highly anticipated AGBU 29th South American Olympic Games. A winter
tradition that aims to unite the continent's young Armenians, the event
is hosted annually in Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Montevideo or São Paolo.
The Inaugural Ceremony for the Games was held on July 12 in the Misak
Kouyoumdjian Gymnasium of the local Alex Manoogian Center. Among the
opening's guests were Under-Secretary of the Uruguayan Ministry of Sport
and Tourism, Lilian Kechichian; Cordoba Chapter Chairman, Ricardo
Erezian; Buenos Aires Chapter General Secretary, Antonio Sarafian;
Representative of the São Paolo Chapter's Executive Council, Monica
Nalbandian; Archbishop Hagop Kelendjian; and Father Obed Boyadjian, who
gave the invocation for the commencement of the event; and members of
the current Montevideo Chapter Committee. Pairing athletics with
culture, the ceremony also included performances by a marching band and
a dance troupe consisting of students from the Montevideo AGBU Nubarian
Manoogian School, along with an electrifying roller-blading number by
the Chapter's youth group, and the Olympiad torch lighting.
Following a warm welcome by Masters of Ceremony, Pablo Karslian and
Valeria Momdjian, Lilian Kechichian addressed the young athletes on
behalf of the national Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and then passed
the podium to Karine Keussayan, a representative of the Montevideo Liga.
To lead off the competitions, the final event of the evening was a
soccer match between Montevideo and São Paolo, with the home team
coming out ahead of their Brazilian counterparts - winning 8-3.
The competition continued the next morning with men's ping-pong and
chess, followed by women's ping-pong and a heated backgammon
competition. Track-and-field activities started off the afternoon, along
with team sports, such as junior and senior indoor soccer, volleyball
and basketball, at the Misak Kouyoumdjian Gymnasium. As in the past, the
Games attracted a capacity audience, and fostered a feeling of
camaraderie among the participants and spectators alike.
On the evening of July 14, a sold-out show, entitled The Sounds of Your
Music, was held in the Crystal Room of the Uruguayan capital's Manoogian
Center. The AGBU Grung Choir, directed by Maestro Alvaro Hagopian and
consisting of over 30 members, kicked off the evening. Other highlights
included a kamancha performance by Nshte Boyadjian, and a finale by the
Armenian rock band, Los Garabedutiun. The festivities continued in the
same venue the following evening with the closing dinner gala.
The Games concluded on Sunday, July 16, with a farewell luncheon and
trophy ceremony. Each athlete also received a commemorative medal for
his/her participation in the 29th Annual AGBU South American Games.
The Montevideo Youth Group continued the celebration of its 60th
Anniversary with a dinner banquet on November 17, 2006, at the local
Center. Organized by the Chapter's youth, the evening was attended by
hundreds of supporters, members and former Liga Chairmen. To enhance the
festive occasion, the current youth group members staged a surprise
cultural program, which included a theatrical skit and tango performance
depicting the early years and evolvement of AGBU Liga de Jóvenes in
Uruguay's capital.
Founded in 1906, AGBU has played a pivotal role in preserving and
promoting the Armenian identity and heritage for a century.
Headquartered in New York City with an annual budget of $34 million,
AGBU is today's largest Armenian non-profit, annually serving 400,000
Armenians in 37 countries through educational, cultural and humanitarian
programs.
For more information on AGBU Montevideo, please visit www.ugab.org.uy,
email [email protected], or call the AGBU Alex Manoogian Center,
located in Montevideo, Uruguay at +598.2209.8810.
For more information on AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit
www.agbu.org.