Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the opening ceremony of the football school named after the legendary football player Khoren Hovhannisyan in Yerevan.
Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan, Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan, Minister of Environment Hakob Simidyan, President of the Football Federation of Armenia Armen Melikbekyan, many representatives of the sports world were also present at the event.
The Prime Minister first toured the sports school, familiarized himself with the implemented works and the conditions created for the children.
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The Prime Minister congratulated on the opening of the sports school named after Khoren Hovhannisyan and noted. “There are people who do not belong to themselves, to their family, but to a wider circle, to the country, to the people. Khoren Hovhannisyan is one of those.
On the other hand, of course, it creates many other complications for these people, because such people are almost sanctified, made perfect, especially by the young generation who have been inspired by them, but no person is perfect, and every ordinary human movement can cause a problem in that regard. I am glad that today we are gathered on such an occasion, where we also emphasize that we do not forget values, we do not forget people, their merits and contributions.”
The Prime Minister noted that it is symbolic that there are people present at the opening of the sports school, with whom there will be another oportunity to meet when a sport school named after them will be opened. “The sports school after Arthur Aleksanyan is being built in Gyumri, the construction process of the sports school after Arthur Abraham has started in Yerevan, we are in working discussions with Vik Darchinyan. There is the political decision, it remains to ensure the continuation. The construction works of the school after Simon Martirosyan are in the final stage, and according to the preliminary plan, the opening should take place in August. We have made a very important decision to build the sports school after Roman and Malkhas Amoyans in the enlarged Alagyaz community. This must be done.
But I also want to say that this process is, first of all, an appreciation for the merits of our famous athletes and the fame they have brought to Armenia, on the other hand, this is an important tool for popularizing sports,” said Nikol Pashinyan, expressing his belief that many parents, children, learning about the existence of the “Khoren Hovhannisyan” Academy, they will hurry, especially here, because that name, heritage, atmosphere will bring a lot with it.
“Mr. Hovhannisyan, I congratulate you once again. Of course, the Football Federation implemented this program with the support of the Government, and we will continue this process. I am very happy that I have the opportunity to say such a word of appreciation to you, because I know and remember that your football career was not easy, there were as much complications, difficulties and problems, as glory.
I am very happy that we have come to this milestone after passing that difficult path both during the Soviet period and post-Soviet period. Can you imagine what expectations will be formed from this school, what kind of football players will come out? Of course, stardom aspiration is not such a good thing, because, first of all, it is important that our children have the opportunity to do sports and physical education. First of all, the healthy lifestyle, sports lifestyle should spread as much as possible, but on the other hand, when it has real scale in the country, as it is said, the pleasant will be combined with the useful. The more popular is the sport, the more opportunities to have stars we will have.
And that we have stars, I think there is no need to explain and prove it in this audience, because there are people present here who have proven that they can achieve success with their own work. I am sure, and the people present here are talking about it, that talent, hard work is the biggest sponsor and the biggest promoter. On the contrary, the victory of talent and hard work leads to people standing in line to be useful,” the Prime Minister noted.
Nikol Pashinyan quoted the words of Khoren Hovhannisyan, according to which he never had the opportunity to train in such conditions. “It is very important that this also brings a change in thinking, brings with it a new way of thinking. Fair play, fair competition is the most important thing in football today and it is becoming more and more important in sports. Every now and then there is an attempt to suggest that what we see on the field is not really what is happening. That’s a lie.
In fact, that’s what is happening, it’s another thing that the infrastructural issues, the atmosphere, from the diet, to the training programs and the qualification of the coaches determine the outcome. Because who said that the world dreamed of our champions becoming champions? They decided, they had a goal, they sacrificed a lot to achieve this goal, and they achieved that goal. The glory of these people is seen, glorified and praised and it seems to them that it is that 3 minutes or that 15 minutes. Behind those 15 minutes are tens of years of suffering, starting with limiting contact with friends, family, and so on. You have to be able to do it, but it is a sacrifice that, in my opinion, people make for the sake of the people, for the sake of the state, for the sake of statehood, for the sake of the flag, because we are all eagerly waiting for the moment when the flag of the Republic of Armenia will be raised and the anthem of the Republic of Armenia will be heard.
Mr. Hovhannisyan, thank you again for your work, thank you for your willingness to watch how the children play football here every day. I am sure that it will bring a new quality,” Prime Minister Pashinyan said.
The construction works of the sports school started in spring 2022. This is the first sports school in the history of newly independent Armenia built from scratch in the Kentron community of Yerevan and bearing the name of a legendary football player.
The sports school is designed for 250-300 children, who will have the opportunity to train on a daily basis.
The sports school meets high international standards. It has a high quality artificial grass, the administrative building includes a heating and ventilation system, auditoriums, offices, locker rooms and a gym.
INFORMATION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
