Published since 07.2002
Published on April 18, 2008
SCRUM FOR SURVIVAL: RUGBY STRUGGLES TO CAPTURE ATTENTION OF SUPPORTERS
- Four years ago, when Alexander Chilingaryan got a left leg injury during a baseball training session, doctors recommended that he forget sports. “But I did not believe them and I believed myself and after less than a year I already trained in rugby. I decided to switch from baseball to rugby as few play rugby in Armenia,” says 25-year-old Alexander, who, as a member of Armenia’s national rugby team, took part in the match against Denmark’s team on April 12. The game ended in a 22-13 victory by Armenia. “It was a very tough match. Your team was wonderful in the first half, and only in the second half we managed to get into our normal game,” said Denmark player Jonaf Haaninj. As of September 1, 2007, in the world’s rankings Armenia’s national rugby team was 33rd among 62 listed nations due to French-Armenians and French coach Jean-Jacques Bos. French-Armenians who live in France and play in French clubs are involved in the rugby team of Armenia. It is several years that the team plays with this composition and during this period it managed to reach Division 3A from Division 3E. On April 12, the team’s head coach Jean-Jacques Bos chose six players to play in the team from Yerevan’s Ararat club, including Alexander. “There are lads in the club who have good qualities that need to be developed. Today, two of the six selected players participated in the game proper, but in the game against Serbia, in May four will play,” Bos says. “The goal is that Armenia’s team be represented not by French-Armenian players, but by homegrown Armenian players living in Armenia. But it will be a gradual process, kids must be trained for that,” the head coach adds. The French-Armenian players in the team play with the same mission. “It is a pride to make a win on Armenian soil,” Team Armenia player Raffi Axalian says. “We play for this reason, so that Armenians gradually learn, so that only homegrown players play later.” Secretary General of the Rugby Federation of Armenia Armen Adamyan hopes that the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs will make good on its promise to allocate funding also to rugby from the 2009 state budget, to restore the sport to a standing it had pre-independence. According to Adamyan, the federation tried to develop rugby in the regions, teams were opened in the towns of Armavir, Vanadzor, Ararat, activities of the teams of Vedi and Khor Virap were encouraged: “But since there is a shortage of money and we assist athletes with our own means and not regularly, we can’t make headway.” Rugby trainings in Yerevan are available at the Ararat club for free. “It happened a lot that we decided not to continue, but when we looked into the boys’ eyes, we understood that we could not tell them not to come tomorrow. Moreover, if the trainings were paid, they wouldn’t come at all, many of the trainees are from families that cannot afford to pay for it,” the club’s president Ashot Papyan says. The club has a history of nearly two years. It has a number of problems connected with the ground, sport gear, property, i.e. because of shortage of funds. It is already six years that the club’s coach Mikael Mnatsakanyan trains boys for free. He did so even before the club was established. “I cannot leave the labor of so many years, my boys also suffer in this club, their friends, all are my boys. I convinced Ashot Papyan to found the club,” the coach says. He is worried, since juniors do not play as well as their elder counterparts: “They come with pleasure, but since no national championship is organized in Armenia today for teenagers to play against each other, they do not play well.” There seems to be no way out of the situation, since those in Europe also are not willing to help Armenia. The Rugby Federation’s Adamyan says European sponsors have offered help, but only if money also comes from the Armenian government.
- Sara Khojoyan
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Today in Armenian history- 1862 Birth of H.F.B. Lynch in London of Irish parentage. Besides his study of law, he became noted as a writer, a geographer, a politician, and a traveller, with a keen interest in Armenia. His two-volume book on his Armenia travels is a classic and describes life in Armenia at the end of the 19th century. In 1906, he was elected to serve as a member of the British Parliament. (He died in London on 1913 11 24).
- 1877 The Yerevan detachment of the Russian forces, headed by General Ter-Ghukasov, occupies Bayazet for 12 days with the help of Armenian home guards.
- 1933 Death of Avetik Sahakian (Father Abraham), the Parliamentary President of the First Armenian Republic.
- 1953 The administrative districts of Yerevan, Kirovakan, and Leninakan are dissolved.
- 1958 Inauguration of the Armenian SSR's Art Institute.
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