PAN-ARMENIAN GAMES WERE HELD IN OTTOMAN EMPIRE

Lragir
Aug 17 2007
Armenia

On the occasion of the Forth Pan-Armenian games to be held in Yerevan
in August 18-26, 2007

The history of Armenian sport and Armenian participation in the
Olympic games have deep roots. It’s known that in ancient Armenia
were organized Navasardian Games. Armenian kings Trdat and Varazdat
from Arshakuni dynasty where the first Armenians who participated in
the Olympic games.

Despite the segregationist and discriminative nature of the Ottoman
governments Armenians played significant role in the social, economical
and cultural, as well as sport life of the empire. The tradition of
sport activity revived among the Ottoman Armenians especially in the
beginning of the 20th century, before the genocide plan of Young
Turkish government was implemented as a result of which the whole
Armenian nation on the territory of the Ottoman Turkey circa 1915
was eliminated and who managed to remain alive, was deported from
own homeland.

For the first time in the history of Turkish Olympic games, two
Armenian athletes Vahram Papazyan and Mkrtich Mkryan had participated
in the fifth international Olympic games in Stockholm in 1912.

Many Armenian teams and sportsmen, inside the Empire and beyond its
borders, permanently scored victories and records in multinational
competitions.

The reason of the participation of the Armenian sportsmen in the
Olympic games aimed to remind the world about the existence of Armenian
nation and its willingness to fight for freedom. It’s interesting
enough that from 1911 to 1914 four "Armenian Olympic games" were
organized with the participation of almost all Armenian sport clubs
existed. Winners of the competitions were awarded with silver medals.

Many Armenian sportsmen became victims of the first genocide of the
20th century.

>From the official web site of the museum and institute of the Armenian
Genocide

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress