"ARMENIAN SPORTS AND GYMNASTICS IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE" ALBUM RELEASED

Noyan Tapan
Oct 19, 2009

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. In his
album-monography entitled "Armenian Sports and Gymnastics in the
Ottoman Empire", Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute
Hayk Demoyan presents the activities of Armenian sport clubs in
the Ottoman Empire, the history of the organization of pan-Armenian
Olympic Games and the athletic movement in Western Armenia and Cilicia,
as well as the foundation of women’s gymnastic clubs, the start of
Armenian scout movement, and the Armenian sportsmen who fell victim
to the Armenian Genocide.

Addressing the first pages of the history of Armenian sports and
gymnastics in the Ottoman Empire, H. Demoyan writes about the first
Armenian sport clubs and football teams formed in Constantinople and
Smyrna after the Young Turk Revolution. These clubs were represented
by such professionals as Shavarsh Chrisian, Mkrtich Mkrian, Grigor
Hakobian and others.

"On seeing the success of Armenian sportsmen, the Turkish nationalists
tried to struggle against sport achievements of minorities. They had
some cause for concern because the first successful football teams
in both Constantinople and Smyrna were Armenian teams. Besides, it
was Armenians, namely Vahram Papazian and Mkrtich Mkrian, that first
represented Turkey at the V Olympiad held in Stockholm in 1912. The
first sport magazine published in the Ottoman Empire was "Marmnamarz"
periodical in Armenian (1911-1914), so "the Turk nationalists started
to fight in practice: first of all, all the Armenian sport clubs
were closed, then Shavarsh Chrisian, the editor of Marmnamarz who
did a great deal to stir up interest in sports among the Armenian
population, fell victim to their violence," H. Demoyan writes.

On the eve of World War I, there were about 40 Armenian athletic
clubs in Constantinople. Armenian football teams participated in team
and national tournaments, which mostly ended in their wins. The most
famous teams were Balta Liman, Arax and Tork. Armenian sport clubs
were established in other cities as well.

The author dedicated the album to the memory of those pioneers who
initiated the cause of promoting national sports and athletics and
became victims of the Genocide.