165 SPORTS SCHOOLS FUNCTION IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan

Se p 2, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The sports schools of Armenia
opened their doors before pupils on September 1st. NT correspondent was
informed by Samson Hakobian, the head of the Unit for Organizing Work
on the Training of Young Sport Generation, that there are 165 sports
schools in Armenia, including 49 in Yerevan, with a total of 1,814
coaches (729 in Yerevan). Out of 43,471 sportsmen and sportswomen
engaged in 43 kinds of sports, 17,212 ones live in Yerevan. 56 out
of 927 Armenian communities have sports schools.

Among the most popular sport kinds are wrestling (7,452 sportsmen),
football (5,631), boxing (3,314), weightlifting (2,599) and judo
(2,169).

In 2001-2007, 52 gyms, 2 athletic maneges, a stadium, 3
shooting-grounds, as well as swimming-pools, educational and
dormitory buildings of 38 sports schools, 2 colleges and other sports
organizations were constructed and repaired with funds of the Social
Fund, the state budget and "Hayastan" All-Armenian Fund.

The average salary of coaches is 33 thousand drams, the salary of
those with a seniority of over 20 years makes 42 thousand drams
(about 140 USD).

More than 12,000 sportsmen and sportswomen were engaged in athletics
in the early 1990s. Today their number has declined to 2,411. Not to
mention a small number of those engaged in games such as basketball
(3,419), volleyball (1,549) and handball (880).

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress