"CHINA’S NUMBER OF DIVERS EQUALS ARMENIA’S POPULATION"
A1+
[12:49 pm] 04 December, 2008
Armenia plans to have divers participate in the 2012 Olympics to take
place in London. During the past couple of years, Armenian divers
have participated in teen and youth international competitions.
"Despite the dark years, thanks to diver Avtandilyan Armenia won
the right to participate in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics," told "A1+"
vice-president of the Diving Federation Robert Grigoryan.
Armenia didn’t have any divers for the Olympic games that followed,
which Grigoryan explained as follows:
"When the swimming pool began to function normally, the federation
decided to pay more attention to raising the level of professionalism
of young divers by participating in teen and youth competitions. Now
we have promising divers, who have won over 30 medals in the course
of three years in international competitions."
Two of them are at the required age to participate in the European
and world championships.
There are not too many diving fans in Armenia. "Armenia lacks the
required conditions. Those who privatized the swimming pools took
out the planks needed for diving and the only school for diving that
exists today is the David Hambartsumyan school," says Robert Grigoryan.
The chief trainer of the Armenian diving team predicts that if Armenia
had a couple of diving schools, it would reach victories at the
international level. "China has as much divers as our population. They
pick 2 out of all divers, while we pick 15-20 divers from one school."
The federation keeps hope alive and has appealed to the Sport Ministry
for help. "We are ready to provide equipment to the school so that
the divers can at least practice diving," said Grigoryan.