EXPOSITION "THE ARMENIAN SPORTS IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE" OPENS AT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM-INSTITUTE

Noyan Tapan

Se p 22, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. An exposition
"The Armenian Sports in the Ottoman Empire" opens in the temporary
show room of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute on September 2. It
includes about 70 photos, documents and periodicals that present the
history of the formation of sport clubs and football teams in the
Ottoman Empire before 1915.

According to a report of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute,
Armenian sport clubs and sportsmen made a significant contribution
to the development of sports in the Ottoman Empire: there were about
100 Armenian sport clubs in the empire.

Armenian Olympic Games were organized in Constantinople in 1911-1914.

"Gymnast" sports newspaper (editor Shavarsh Krisian) was published
in that period, which was the first periodical on sports in the
Ottoman Empire.

Two Armenian sportsmen, Vahram Papazian and Mkrtich Mkrian took part
in the 5th International Olympic Games in Stockholm in the summer of
1912, representing the empire for the first time at Olympic Games.

In 1915-1920, many Armenian sportsmen became victims of the genocide
and the majority of sport clubs stopped functioning.