ARMENIA EXPEXTS AN OFFICIAL APOLOGY FROM AZERI SAMBO FEDERATION
20:20, 02 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
The Armenian Sambo Federation released a statement today, demanding
from the International Sambo Federation to punish Azeri athlete
Bakhtiyar Abbasov for disrespecting the Armenian national anthem
during the World Cup award ceremony in Moscow.
Abbasov demonstratively squatted as the Armenian anthem was playing
in honor of Ashot Danielian, an Artsakh-born Armenian fighter, who
won the gold at the tournament.
The Federation said it expects an official assessment of the act by
the Sambo Federation of Azerbaijan and anticipates an apology.
“Abbasov’s step was not only a violation of sports ethics, but also a
demonstration of political, national hatred and hostility, which is
unacceptable not only to us, but also the international community,”
the statement reads.
President of the European Sambo Federation Sergey Eliseev also slammed
Abbasov for his “unsportsmanlike behavior.”