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38TH NAVASARTIAN GAMES A MAJOR SUCCESS
The beginning of the parade line at the opening ceremony of the 38th
Navasartian Games.
BY DONIG L. DONABEDIAN
Amid the fanfare, fireworks, singers, entertainers, athletes,
assortment of tasty edibles and vendors, it was a spectacle to
behold. The Navasartian Games are indisputably the largest amateur
athletic and sports games in the Great State of California.
With an army of several hundred volunteers, the Homenetmen Western
United States Regional Executive Committee hosted a magical tournament
and a four-day festival at the close of the games at Birmingham High
School in Van Nuys, to rival and surpass any other in the state. For
two months, beginning in May, The Navasartian Games have been underway
with a bevy of sports competitions, and concluded with a festival
where 35,000 people attended the four-day spectacle which began on
July 3rd and ended on July 6th.
What would the Navasartian Games be like without its traditional
closing ceremony and parade? Soulless, I would surmise. Well,
this year's conclusion to the games did not disappoint. There was a
fantastic parade, entertainment of the highest caliber, dignitaries,
VIP's and avid Homenetmen followers galore. Dignitaries who were
present at the closing ceremony include Archbishop Mardirossian,
Council General of the Republic of Armenia Ardag Kaloustian, Council
General of Lebanon Johnny Abrahim, 38th Navasartian Games and Festival
Honorary Presidents Sarkis and Alin Nourian, 2013 Homentemen Exemplary
Member Zareh Ekmekjian, Homenetmen C.E Representatives Viggen Davidian
and Hagop Tufenkjian, ARF Central Representative Viken Yacoubian,
Hon. Congressman Brad Sherman, City of Los Angeles Council Member
Paul Kirkorian, Sheriff Lee Baca, Chief Gary Nalbandian, Glendale
Unified School District Board Member Greg Krikorian, West Valley
Patrol Commanding Officier Captain David Grimes, LAPD West Valley
Division Area Captain John Egan and LAPD N.
Hollywood Division Commanding Officer Captain Stephan Carmona. This
year saw 3,300 athletes participate in the tournament, many of whom
took part in the parade, each athlete representing one of 18 chapters
in the region.
The organizational nous it took to host an event of this enormity
is nothing short of superb. Homenetmen's savvy shone through as the
leading scout and athletic organization in the Armenian American
Community in the Western United States. The games' respectability and
reach was huge and compelling enough that, for the first time ever,
due to audience demand, the closing ceremonies and some of the final
games were televised LIVE on U.S. Armenia TV.
Homenetmen is an organization that encourages people of all ages
to partake in it in one capacity or another, from the very young to
whatever age one may be. Therein is the source of the pull power that
the organization enjoys as a volunteer based entity. In an effort
to accommodate the really young, one of the main attractions at the
38th Navasartian Games was the Children's Carnival, where hundreds
of children enjoyed fun games and rides.
As for those who competed in soccer, volleyball, basketball, track and
field, swimming, tennis, table tennis, chess, and eating contests,
the four-day festival witnessed the incredible competitive spirit
of the games come to the fore. The athletes pushed harder than ever
before to reach the finishing line or win a championship. They did it
all with solid determination. The games come around once a year and
every athlete's goal is to make the best of it. They will be back next
year to exert every effort to elevate themselves and their chapters
to the high standards that the Navasartian Games has always set.
The Homenetmen Western U.S. Regional Executive Committee would like
to extend its gratitude to the sponsors that made the Navasartian
Games possible.
Special gratitude goes to the Navasartian Organizing Committee
(N.O.C.) for the monumental task that they managed to perform, the
Festival Committee, the Public Relations Team, the Regional Athletic
Committee (R.E.C.), and the countless volunteers and supporters
without whom the tournament this year would have been inconceivable.
Below are this year's final standings. Congratulations to all the
winners!
Basketball Event Trophy 1st PlaceArarat 2nd PlaceMassis 3rd PlaceLos
Angeles Soccer Event Trophy 1st PlaceLos Angeles 2nd PlaceArarat 3rd
PlaceMassis Volleybal Event Trophy 1st PlaceMassis 2nd PlaceArarat
3rd PlaceShant Track & Field Event Trophy 1st PlaceAzadamard 2nd
PlaceShant 3rd PlaceMassis Swimming Event Trophy 1st PlaceMassis 2nd
PlaceArarat 3rd PlaceAraz Table Tennis Event Trophy 1st PlaceArarat
2nd PlaceSassoon
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
The beginning of the parade line at the opening ceremony of the 38th
Navasartian Games.
BY DONIG L. DONABEDIAN
Amid the fanfare, fireworks, singers, entertainers, athletes,
assortment of tasty edibles and vendors, it was a spectacle to
behold. The Navasartian Games are indisputably the largest amateur
athletic and sports games in the Great State of California.
With an army of several hundred volunteers, the Homenetmen Western
United States Regional Executive Committee hosted a magical tournament
and a four-day festival at the close of the games at Birmingham High
School in Van Nuys, to rival and surpass any other in the state. For
two months, beginning in May, The Navasartian Games have been underway
with a bevy of sports competitions, and concluded with a festival
where 35,000 people attended the four-day spectacle which began on
July 3rd and ended on July 6th.
What would the Navasartian Games be like without its traditional
closing ceremony and parade? Soulless, I would surmise. Well,
this year's conclusion to the games did not disappoint. There was a
fantastic parade, entertainment of the highest caliber, dignitaries,
VIP's and avid Homenetmen followers galore. Dignitaries who were
present at the closing ceremony include Archbishop Mardirossian,
Council General of the Republic of Armenia Ardag Kaloustian, Council
General of Lebanon Johnny Abrahim, 38th Navasartian Games and Festival
Honorary Presidents Sarkis and Alin Nourian, 2013 Homentemen Exemplary
Member Zareh Ekmekjian, Homenetmen C.E Representatives Viggen Davidian
and Hagop Tufenkjian, ARF Central Representative Viken Yacoubian,
Hon. Congressman Brad Sherman, City of Los Angeles Council Member
Paul Kirkorian, Sheriff Lee Baca, Chief Gary Nalbandian, Glendale
Unified School District Board Member Greg Krikorian, West Valley
Patrol Commanding Officier Captain David Grimes, LAPD West Valley
Division Area Captain John Egan and LAPD N.
Hollywood Division Commanding Officer Captain Stephan Carmona. This
year saw 3,300 athletes participate in the tournament, many of whom
took part in the parade, each athlete representing one of 18 chapters
in the region.
The organizational nous it took to host an event of this enormity
is nothing short of superb. Homenetmen's savvy shone through as the
leading scout and athletic organization in the Armenian American
Community in the Western United States. The games' respectability and
reach was huge and compelling enough that, for the first time ever,
due to audience demand, the closing ceremonies and some of the final
games were televised LIVE on U.S. Armenia TV.
Homenetmen is an organization that encourages people of all ages
to partake in it in one capacity or another, from the very young to
whatever age one may be. Therein is the source of the pull power that
the organization enjoys as a volunteer based entity. In an effort
to accommodate the really young, one of the main attractions at the
38th Navasartian Games was the Children's Carnival, where hundreds
of children enjoyed fun games and rides.
As for those who competed in soccer, volleyball, basketball, track and
field, swimming, tennis, table tennis, chess, and eating contests,
the four-day festival witnessed the incredible competitive spirit
of the games come to the fore. The athletes pushed harder than ever
before to reach the finishing line or win a championship. They did it
all with solid determination. The games come around once a year and
every athlete's goal is to make the best of it. They will be back next
year to exert every effort to elevate themselves and their chapters
to the high standards that the Navasartian Games has always set.
The Homenetmen Western U.S. Regional Executive Committee would like
to extend its gratitude to the sponsors that made the Navasartian
Games possible.
Special gratitude goes to the Navasartian Organizing Committee
(N.O.C.) for the monumental task that they managed to perform, the
Festival Committee, the Public Relations Team, the Regional Athletic
Committee (R.E.C.), and the countless volunteers and supporters
without whom the tournament this year would have been inconceivable.
Below are this year's final standings. Congratulations to all the
winners!
Basketball Event Trophy 1st PlaceArarat 2nd PlaceMassis 3rd PlaceLos
Angeles Soccer Event Trophy 1st PlaceLos Angeles 2nd PlaceArarat 3rd
PlaceMassis Volleybal Event Trophy 1st PlaceMassis 2nd PlaceArarat
3rd PlaceShant Track & Field Event Trophy 1st PlaceAzadamard 2nd
PlaceShant 3rd PlaceMassis Swimming Event Trophy 1st PlaceMassis 2nd
PlaceArarat 3rd PlaceAraz Table Tennis Event Trophy 1st PlaceArarat
2nd PlaceSassoon
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress