Aravot talked with Arman Muradyan, the president of the Armenian Boxing Federation, about the World Youth Boxing Championship to begin in the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concerts Complex on November 25.
* How come that AIBA decided to give Armenia the right to host the championship after Thailand refused to do that?
* Our federation didn’t intend to organize this championship at the beginning. We planned to apply next year for organizing the senior European championship in Yerevan. However, when Thailand refused, I sent an official letter to Wu Ching-kuo, the president of AIBA, expressing readiness to organize this youth championship in our country. They gave us a preliminary answer that they will discuss the issue. And when I got the support of Gagik Tsarukyan, the president of the National Olympic Committee of Armenia, and Hrachya Rostomyan, the Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, I convinced AIBA to give Yerevan the right to host this championship.
* Have you managed to do the preparatory work in six weeks?
* The federation has basically done everything. We work in all directions simultaneously, and almost all problems are solved. Muradin Company, the main sponsor of the Federation, the Olympic Committee, and the Ministry of Sports support us. And we try not to bother the other state bodies just yet. We have signed all the necessary international agreements to host the world championship. The Sports and Concerts Complex is ready, we have arranged hotel accommodations for the participants, we have ensured training halls for the boxers, and we have bought two boxing rings produced by Adidas, which are already in Armenia.
* When will the delegations of the 70 participating countries arrive?
* The official arrivals are due from November 25 on. However, three delegations – France, Greece and Georgia – are already here. Their last training session is under way in Abovyan.
* Azerbaijan will also arrive. Have the issues regarding their security been solved?
* They wouldn’t have arrived without that. The problem has been solved at the state level. They will live and train in Yerevan separately.
* How much money will be spent on the world championship?
* The budget of the championship is roughly 300 million AMD, the most part of which has been given by the federation already.
* Doesn’t the state support you?
* No. But we have asked the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, in order that the Cabinet also gives money. Let us see. Anyway, the World Youth Championship will not suffer from the lack of finances.
* Has the work with the press been done?
* Certainly. The federation has a press agency; a press center will operate in the Sports and Concerts Complex, which is equipped with necessary means of communication. 30 news agencies from Armenia have been accredited. But we don’t know yet how many news agencies there will be from abroad. Therefore, I invite all of you to cover the World Youth Championship, which is a sports event for Armenia, and we organize it to develop boxing in the republic.
* Since you have talked about developing boxing, could you please tell us does the work of the federation satisfy you, since you spend the most part of the year outside Armenia?
* Yes, I do, but I know about all the work. As for the federation’s work, let’s talk numbers. In years 2000-2009, before I was elected the president, our boxers won 38 medals in championships of all age groups, 5 of which were gold medals. Since 2009, for the past four years – the year 2012 is not over yet, and besides this championship our boxers will participate also in the European Olympic Hopes 19-22 Championships to be held in Kaliningrad – they have won 171 medals including international tournaments, 58 of which in the World and European Championships. And 11 out of those 58 were gold, 15 silver and 32 bronze medals.
* How much does the federation spend on this sport annually?
* 700 million AMD of sponsorship money has been spent in four years, and the state gives 110 million AMD annually.
* Does our participation in the Olympic Games satisfy you?
* One participant didn’t satisfy, to begin with, because of which the general coach of the team resigned. However, it can be explained also by the fact that ranking tournaments took place in, to put it mildly, uncomfortable countries for us – Azerbaijan and Turkey. As for Andranik Hakobyan’s participation who is one of our favorites, I consider his defeat in the first fight as a sports misfortune.
A. HAKOBYAN
