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    Categories: 2018

Sports: 23rd Euro-Armenian Games kick off in Vienna

Panorama, Armenia
18:50 31/03/2018

The Armenian Sports Association ARARAT of Vienna is hosting the 23rd Euro Armenian Games /EAG/ in Vienna from March 30 to April 2. The event is held under the auspices of H.E. Dr. Arman Kirakossian, Ambassador of Armenia to Austria and Dr. Michael Häupl, Mayor of Vienna. Fifty-five delegations, guests, sport fans, as well as more than 730 sportsmen from various European countries have come to participate in the tournament. The athletes will compete in basketball, volleyball, badminton, mini football, table tennis, backgammon and chess in men, women and junior categories.

The official opening ceremony was held under the EU, Austrian and Armenian national anthems, with blessings of the Armenian clergymen and was accompanied by folk dances performed by ensembles of the Viennese Hovhannes Shiraz School and "Yerazank" of HMEM Vienna.  The ceremony was opened with welcome speeches given by Dr. Arman Kirakossian, Armenian Minister of the Diaspora Mrs. Hranush Hakobyan and the chairman the Armenian Sports Association ARARAT Mr. Sebouh Baghdoyan.

The Games is a sport and a social event that brings together the Armenian athletes, sport fans and representatives of Armenian communities of Europe. The tournament is held on the Easter holidays annually with the exception of those years when Pan-Armenian Games take place in Armenia.

Emil Lazarian: “I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS