Tweet
I WAS NOT RECEIVED BY THE LEADERSHIP, OLYMPIC CHAMPION ARMEN NAZARYAN SAYS
Gohar HAKOBYAN
http://www.aravot.am/en/2012/07/31/96413/
July 31, 2012 17:23
Twice Olympic champion, thrice world champion and six times European
champion, wrestler Armen Nazaryan is in Yerevan now. He left Armenia
in 1996 and lives in Bulgaria. As soon as he entered that country,
he was granted the Bulgarian citizenship by the order of the Bulgarian
president. Moreover, the Armenian wrestler holds the title of honorary
citizen,is loved and accepted. Armen Nazaryan's name is written on
the walls of FILA and Bulgaria Halls Of Fame. During a conversation
with www.aravot.am, Armen Nazaryan, an Olympic champion of independent
Armenia, was sorry that he wasn't able to participate in these Olympic
Games because of an injury, "These games would have been my 5th Olympic
games, unfortunately, I was injured in recent months and lagged behind
in training. I would like very much to participate, because I was
close to an Olympic medal. Admittedly, my age is not the best one -
I am 38 - but I am experienced and sure of myself." The sportsman
wishes that one day his sons, Edmond and Grisha, will win Olympic gold.
Armen Nazaryan remembers the 1990s and the reasons for leaving Armenia,
"I am not offended, but I want to assert that I was the first Olympic
champion of independent Armenia. 196 countries participated in the
Olympic Games and thanks to me, the Armenian Tricolor was raised
in Atlanta (USA), at the Olympic Games, moreover, presidents of 120
countries were present at the Olympics and were watching the matches
and presidents of 80 countries met their sportsmen as heroes. No one
met me.... I came to Armenia victorious and I was not received by the
leadership within 5-6 months after that. Those problems had always
been there and the government was different at the time."
He says that if the conditions at the time had been the same as today,
he surely wouldn't have left Armenia.
Gohar HAKOBYAN
http://www.aravot.am/en/2012/07/31/96413/
July 31, 2012 17:23
Twice Olympic champion, thrice world champion and six times European
champion, wrestler Armen Nazaryan is in Yerevan now. He left Armenia
in 1996 and lives in Bulgaria. As soon as he entered that country,
he was granted the Bulgarian citizenship by the order of the Bulgarian
president. Moreover, the Armenian wrestler holds the title of honorary
citizen,is loved and accepted. Armen Nazaryan's name is written on
the walls of FILA and Bulgaria Halls Of Fame. During a conversation
with www.aravot.am, Armen Nazaryan, an Olympic champion of independent
Armenia, was sorry that he wasn't able to participate in these Olympic
Games because of an injury, "These games would have been my 5th Olympic
games, unfortunately, I was injured in recent months and lagged behind
in training. I would like very much to participate, because I was
close to an Olympic medal. Admittedly, my age is not the best one -
I am 38 - but I am experienced and sure of myself." The sportsman
wishes that one day his sons, Edmond and Grisha, will win Olympic gold.
Armen Nazaryan remembers the 1990s and the reasons for leaving Armenia,
"I am not offended, but I want to assert that I was the first Olympic
champion of independent Armenia. 196 countries participated in the
Olympic Games and thanks to me, the Armenian Tricolor was raised
in Atlanta (USA), at the Olympic Games, moreover, presidents of 120
countries were present at the Olympics and were watching the matches
and presidents of 80 countries met their sportsmen as heroes. No one
met me.... I came to Armenia victorious and I was not received by the
leadership within 5-6 months after that. Those problems had always
been there and the government was different at the time."
He says that if the conditions at the time had been the same as today,
he surely wouldn't have left Armenia.