PanArmenian Games Open In Yerevan
For the fifth time in twelve years hundreds of Armenians came together to compete in soccer, basketball, volleyball and other sport disciplines. Opening ceremonies took place at Yerevan’s Republican stadium on August 13 and week-long games will conclude on August 21.
The games involve more than 2,200 athletes representing 86 communities in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America, as well as Armenia.
In football, basketball and volleyball Armenian Americans are reprsented by teams from Los Angeles and its suburbs of Glendale, Burbank and La Canada.
Among Diaspora communities Iran appears most represented with teams from Tehran, Isfahan, Shahinshahr, Tabriz, Urmia and Salmast taking part.
Some of the more exotic match-ups will be in footsall. Competing directly are teams from Qamishli (Syria) and San Paolo (Brazil), Akhaltsikhe (Georgia) and Marseille (France), Bolshaya Neklinovka (Russia) and Buenos Aires (Argentina), and Manchester (England) and Nor Hajin (Armenia).
The games were originally conceived by Ashot Melik-Shahnazaryan, the late Soviet and Armenian diplomat who was inspired by Pan-African games first held in 1965.
