KSAT ABC Texas
South Texas teen to participate in Pan Armenian Games
By Jake Kobersky
Posted: 12:15 AM, Updated: 12:15 AM,
BOERNE, Texas – Basketball is Nate Bledsoe's passion.
"I want to go as far as I can take it," the soon-to-be Boerne Champion sophomore said.
Next month, Bledsoe will literally travel halfway across the globe to play the sport he loves, lacing up for an American team at the seventh annual Pan Armenian Games. Held once every four years in Armenia's capital city of Yerevan, the games bring athletes from Armenia and of Aremenian descent together for competition in over 17 different sports.
Bledsoe will be on a basketball team from Los Angeles. At 15, he's the youngest on a roster full of players with collegiate and professional experience. Still, he's undaunted.
"It's going to be really exciting to play overseas and see the differences between playing over here and over there," Bledsoe said. "Also just meeting all kinds of new people from all over the world will be awesome."
Playing at the international level is one thing, but doing it in the country of his ancestors is another. Bledsoe is Armenian on his mother Ripsime's side. She was born in Armenia and hasn't been back since she was an infant.
"We're such a small group, but we're resilient," Bledsoe said. "The Armenian Diaspora spread us around the world from the Armenian Genocide, so there are groups of Armenians all across the world. Whenever we can find each other, it's really cool and we just kind of stick together."
The 2019 Pan Armenian Games kick off August 5 with closing ceremonies taking place August 17.
Bledsoe's apperance at the games will also benefit a great non-profit called Hoops for Hayastan. Click the highlighted link for more information.
