PREPARATIONS IN FULL SWING FOR THE HMEM REGIONAL GAMES IN CYPRUS

Gibrahayer – Nicosia April 11, 2007 – HMEM-AYMA is performing the
final touches for what is destined to be one of the most active &
exciting weekends in the recent history of our community. More than
100 youths, members of HMEM men’s football and girls’ basketball
teams, along with HMEM World, Regional and Local brass, will be
arriving to Cyprus to take part in the HMEM Regional Games organised
by the Cyprus Chapter of this World-wide Armenian Sports Organisation,
AYMA.

A total of four football teams and four basketball teams will be
participating, including the host teams, AYMA Football team under
coach Vazken Bodigian, and the much-promising HMEM-AYMA Basketball
team under coach/captain Markrid Kazandjian.

AYMA’s football team is not a new participant in HMEM games. Its first
participation was to the 6th Pan-HMEM games which took place in 2001,
in Beirut, Lebanon. Bodigian’s boys, having Andrew Konyalian as
Captain, will be called to play host and gain a ticket to the finals.

The HMEM-AYMA "newcomer" has been the surprise-talk of the past
week. After beating first-division strong hold ETHA in a friendly
match last Friday, spirits are running high within the AYMA committee,
the coach and the girls. A re-match has been scheduled for coming
Friday, at 9:00 p.m. at the "Evangelos Florakis" closed stadium.

Our guest teams

AYMA will be playing host to HMEM Lebanon’s football & basketball
teams, HMEM Kuwait’s football & basketball teams, HMEM Holy-Land’s
football team and Damascus’ basketball team.

All are due here with hopes of scoring success in the sports field, as
well as forging ties with their brothers & sisters of AYMA, which
rejoined the HMEM family in recent years.

Speaking to Gibrahayer, HMEM-AYMA president Dr. Antranik Ashdjian
stressed: "Our aim is to give Armenian-Cypriot youth and our community
in general, the opportunity to acquaint with the sports and social
privileges which come with our membership in HMEM. We are at a
geographical position that allows us to become a centre-point and not
the isolated, closed and introverted society of the past."

"An unforgettable weekend"

The weekend of 28th & 29th April will indeed be a unique one. Arrivals
will start as early as Thursday 26th. "Our guests will be here to
interact with our youth, and our Community members. They are NOT going
to be anyone’s "private" or "exclusive" guests, to be ferried around
secretly or to private functions. Every function we organise, every
excursion, shopping spree, lunch or dinner. they may be joined by our
community’s members. That is the whole aim.

Interaction. Interaction. And more Interaction," Ashdjian pointed out.

Friday will be dedicated to excursion and/or shopping, while the main
sports events will take place on Saturday.

"Having four teams in each sport makes it easier for us to hold a
two-round competition. We want the games to end in one day, so that
all our marzigs can freely participate & enjoy themselves at the KEF
we have in store for Saturday evening."

Semi-finals will take place concurrently on Saturday morning, while
the basketball & football finals scheduled for the afternoon will be
kept apart so as to encourage spectators to be present at both.

The evening KEF at "I Yitonia ton Asmaton" in Aglandja will include
the presentation of the Cups to the winners of the games. The
highlight will come when Hratch Gaydzagian, accompanied by Seto &
Shake Baghdassarian and Vahe Simonian, will take the stage & lead us
into a real KEF. "We have tried to book as large a place as possible,
with the best price we could get, so that more people can
participate. How many times do you get the opportunity to be on the
same dance floor with 100+ Armenian youths from other communities?"
said Ashdjian, reminding that booking in advance would be a wise move,
bearing in mind the response from Armenian Cypriot youth initial
responses.

Sunday will include an official visit of all the participating
delegations to the Armenian Prelature and the Armenian Genocide
Monument, followed by a BBQ Party at AYMA. While in the afternoon all
guests will participate in the ARF-Dashnaktsoutiun Day celebration at
the PASYDY Amphitheatre.

Teams will begin departing on Sunday evening, with remaining ones
having excursions or other activities on Monday, again with the
participation of community members.

We are certain, it will be a weekend that none of us will forget.