Sify, India
Aug 22 2004
Khatri to kickstart Indian campaign in wrestling

Sunday, 22 August , 2004, 16:11

Athens: Mukesh Khatri, who fought against all odds for his debut
Olympic berth, will kickstart India’s campaign in wrestling in the
55kg Greco-Roman category bout here on Tuesday, after the weigh-in on
Monday.
He would be hoping for a favourable draw to make a mark in the
category, which has in fray top grapplers, including World Champion
Dariusz Jablonski of Poland, Marian Sandu of Romania, Uran Kalilov of
Kyrgyzstan and Hakan Nyblom of Denmark.
Khatri, who had prepared for this arduous campaign in June-July in
Colorado Springs in the United States with top coaches and former
Olympic champions, is a confident youngster with his polished
technique and positive attitude.
“I have followed a stringent routine with former Olympic champions
and top wrestling coaches in the US and am very positive towards my
performance in the Olymics,” the 22-year-old Khatri told PTI.
Khatri is desperate to justify his training which he pursued defying
the Wrestling Federation of India’s schedule. He had also insisted
that his personal coach Ramphal Thakran accompany him to Athens,
instead of chief coach Gian Singh and succeeded in doing so.
“I have trained with this coach (Thakran) since my childhood and his
presence will inspire me during the main event,” said Khatri, the
lone Indian entry in Greco-Roman, which does not allow the matmen to
grapple with their opponents by holding them below the waist.
“I am now anxiously waiting for my bout which is in the lowest weight
category and Asians are doing well in it,” he said. In the freestyle,
India will have representation in all but one category after a gap of
over a decade.
The freestyle team arrived here after warming up in Sophia, Bulgaria
and is geared up for the formidable task ahead of them. Indian hopes
will rest mainly on Sushil Kumar (60 kg), who finished fourth in the
World championships in New York last year. He would have to fight out
of his skin to climb the podium in the 60-kg division, which is
expected to be dominated by fighters from the erstwhile Soviet Union
and Iran.
According to India’s chief coach Jagmander Singh, the young grappler
has worked hard on correcting his weaknesses and has a better
footwork and grip now.
But, he needs to make an extra effort if has to come home with a
medal from a weight category which has strong contenders in World
champion Arif Adbullayev of Azerbaijan, Leonid Spiridonov of
Kazakhstan, champion at the first qualifier, Shirayr Hovhannisyan of
Armenia, the second qualifier winner, Li Quan of China and
Bararmagnai of Mongolia. A favourable draw could enhance his chances.
One other freestyle hopeful Yogeshwar Dutt has the credentials to do
well, having beaten Koreas Kim Hyo Sub, the World Military Wrestling
Champion, to clinch the gold in the 55kg class final of Asian
freestyle qualifying event in Sophia, Bulgaria.
Indian standards, by and far, have improved over the last few years
after a perceptible decline in the 1990s and it has resulted in the
matmen making their presence felt at the Asian and world level. But,
Olympics is certainly a different kettle of fish.

Athens 2004, Olympics Official Website
Aug 22 2004
Men’s Greco-Roman 84kg : Abrahamian (SWE) seeking medal
ATHENS, 12 August – Ara Abrahamian (SWE) is ready to compete for his
first Olympic medal.
The Armenian born wrestler, made his international debut for his
homeland at the 1996 European Championships, still competed for
Armenia as late as the 1998 World Championships before moving to
Sweden and representing his adopted country at the 1999 World
Championships.
Abrahamian, who finished sixth at the Sydney 2000 Games in the now
discontinued 76kg class, has won two world championships since.

In 2001 he claimed the 74kg class title in Patra, Greece before
jumping up to 84kg class the following year and winning again.

At last year’s World Championships in France he won the silver medal.

The Men’s Greco-Roman 84kg competition begins on Tuesday 24 August at
the Ano Liossia Olympic Hall.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Athens 2004, Olympics Official Website
Aug 22 2004
Nazarian aims for third gold in third weight class
ATHENS, 5 August – Two-time Olympic champion Armen NAZARIAN of
Bulgaria will be attempting to become the second Greco-Roman wrestler
in Olympic history to claim a title in three different weight
classes.
Nazarian, 30, won gold at the 1996 Olympic Games at 52 kg, when he
competed for his birth country, Armenia. At Sydney, he took gold at
58 kg. At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, he will compete at 60 kg.
Sweden’s Carl Westergren is the only Greco-Roman wrestler who has won
gold medals in three different weight classes.
Cuban Filiberto Aguilera Azcuy won Greco-Roman gold at 74kg at the
1996 Games, moved down to 69 kg to take gold in Sydney, and has now
returned to 74kg.
Hamza YERLIKAYA, 28, of Turkey won Greco-Roman gold at 82 kg in 1996
and at 85 kg in 2000, and has returned to 84 kg for Athens.
Only four Olympic wrestlers have won three gold medals, only two
achieving the feat in consecutive Olympic Games.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Advertiser, Australia
Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia
The Mercury, Australia
Sunday Times, Australia
Aug 23 2004
On this day – 23aug04
1990 – Soviet Republic of Armenia declares independence
1305 – Scottish rebel leader William Wallace is hanged, drawn and
quartered for treason in London.
1514 – Selim I, Sultan of Turkey, defeats Shah Ismail of Persia at
Tchaldiran.
1628 – Duke of Buckingham, about to embark at Portsmouth, England,
with further expedition to La Rochelle, France, is assassinated by
John Felton.
1775 – England’s King George II proclaims existence of open rebellion
in American colonies.
1813 – French are defeated by German army under Friedrich von Bulow,
preventing march on Berlin.
1839 – Hong Kong is taken by British in war with China.
1870 – Last British troops leave Australia.
1908 – Abdul Aziz of Morocco is defeated at Marrakesh by Mulai Hafid,
the new Sultan.
1913 – Copenhagen’s famous landmark, The Little Mermaid, is unveiled
at the entrance of the harbour.
1914 – Japan declares war on Germany in World War I.
1926 – Film idol Rudolph Valentino dies suddenly in a New York
hospital, aged 31.
1927 – Two Italian-born anarchists, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo
Vanzetti, are executed in Massachusetts despite worldwide protests
they are innocent.
1927 – Nahas Pasha becomes leader of the Wafd in Egypt.
1937 – Japanese military forces land at Shanghai, China.
1942 – Thirteen Japanese planes are shot down in the 24th raid on
Darwin in World War II.
1944 – Allied troops in France capture port of Marseilles in World
War II.
1944 – Romania joins the Allies and breaks its alliance with Hitler’s
Germany. King Michael I declares war on Germany, and orders the
country’s military pro-Nazi leader Marshal Ion Antonescu arrested.
1948 – The World Council of Churches is founded.
1952 – Arab League security pact goes into effect.
1958 – China begins bombardment of island of Quemoy.
1960 – Broadway librettist Oscar Hammerstein II dies in Doylestown,
Pennsylvania.
1962 – US Telstar satellite relays first live television program
between United States and Europe.
1964 – Footbridge collapses over river gorge in Venezuela, and 29
people fall to their deaths in rapids below.
1973 – Four people are taken hostage by a robber in a Stockholm bank.
During the six-day drama the captor and captives develop a friendship
later described and studied as “the Stockholm syndrome”.
1975 – Communists complete takeover of Laos.
1979 – Bolshoi Ballet star Alexander Godunov is granted political
asylum in the United States.
1982 – Lebanon’s parliament elects Christian militia leader Bashir
Gemayel president; he was assassinated three weeks later.
1986 – Leaders of nine southern African nations, meeting in Angola,
express support for international economic sanctions against South
Africa.
1987 – Iraqi warplanes bomb key Iranian petrochemical complex of
Bandar Khomeini.
1990 – Iraqi President Saddam Hussein appears on television with
British hostages held at “a vital Iraqi installation”; Soviet
Republic of Armenia declares independence; East and West Germany
announce they will unite on October 3.
1991 – Following failed coup by hard-liners in the Soviet Union,
Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin act to strip Communist Party of
its power and take control of army and KGB.
1992 – More than 500 survivors return to Singapore from the cruise
ship Royal Pacific, which sank after a collision with a fishing boat;
some 200 young right-wingers attack a hostel for foreign refugees in
Rostock, eastern Germany.
1993 – In Denmark, salvagers hoping for Nazi documents and treasure
hoist a German U-boat out of a muddy seabed where it sank in an
allied attack 48 years ago.
1994 – A wave of refugees fleeing Cuba on inner tubes, planks and
plastic foam blocks, head for the US naval base in Guantanamo.
1996 – The FBI confirms that microscopic traces of an explosive were
found on wreckage from TWA Flight 800, but says it still can’t say
whether the plane was brought down by a bomb or missile.
1997 – Iran’s new moderate president appoints a US-educated lecturer
as vice-president, the first woman to serve in a top government post
since Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution.
1997 – Sir Eric Gairy, prime minister of Grenada from 1974-79, dies.
1998 – Russian President Boris Yeltsin replaces Prime Minister Sergei
Kiriyenko with former Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin.
1999 – Students opposing the strike at Mexico’s main university try
to enter the campus and scuffle with striking students protesting a
tuition increase. The strike ends in February 2000.
1999 – Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder starts work in Berlin, the first
time Germany had been governed from its traditional capital since
World War II.
2000 – A plane crashes into shallow Persian Gulf waters after
circling and trying to land in Bahrain, killing all 143 people
aboard.
2000 – In a reality TV record an estimated 51 million US viewers tune
in for the finale of CBS’s series Survivor, in which contestant
Richard Hatch wins the $US1 million ($A1.91 million) prize.
2001 – Democratic Rep Gary Condit of California denies any
involvement in the disappearance of intern Chandra Levy; Thierry
Devaux, a Frenchman using a motor-driven parachute, is arrested after
becoming snagged on the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbour.
2002 – Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe unexpectedly dissolves his
cabinet and ousts moderates in a move officials say is related to his
controversial program to seize land from white farmers and
redistribute it to landless blacks.
2003 – John Geoghan, a former Roman Catholic priest whose January
2002 sexual abuse conviction sparked a widespread abuse scandal in
the Catholic church, is beaten and strangled to death in prison.

Rediff, India
Aug 23 2004
Ramesh holds Evgeny Vladimirov
August 22, 2004 19:50 IST
Grandmaster R B Ramesh held top seed GM Evgeny Vladimirov of
Kazkhstan to an easy draw to take joint-third position after the
seventh round in the Masters section of 14th Abu Dhabi chess festival
now in progress.
On a day that witnessed grueling battles for lead positions, GM
Pendyala Harikrishna was held to a draw by Mahjoob Morteza of Iran
and GM Tejas Bakre went down against his Russian counterpart Dmitry
Bocharov.
Former Asian Junior girls’ champion Tania Sachdev suffered a reversal
at the hands of International Master Imad Hakki of Syria and though
her second Women Grandmaster norm prospects have not suffered any
severe blow, the Indian might just need to push a little more for her
maiden IM norm.
Meanwhile, GM Ghaem Maghami Ehsan of Iran was joined by GM Evegny
Gleizerov of Russia and Pavel Kotsur of Kazakhstan at the top of the
table on 5.5 points after the Iranian held on to his nerves and drew
with Ashot Anastasian of Armenia in a long drawn game.
Bocharov and Anastansian are close behind the leaders on five points
while a pack of nine players including Harikrishna and Ramesh are
also in reckoning for top prizes with 4.5 points in their kitty when
just two rounds remain in this US $16000 prize-money tournament being
played under FIDEs Swiss rules.
Ramesh did not have much to do except play correctly against
Vladimirov, who played the white side of an English opening. The
Indian is respected for his opening preparation and Vladimirov was
disappointed as he failed to get even a semblance of an advantage
with the favourable colour.
In fact, fearing he might end up being worse, Vladimirov signed peace
pact in just 16 moves.
Harikrishna tried hard against Morteza but his efforts did not come
good as the latter kept his position together with black pieces.
It was the Capablanca variation of Nimzo Indian in the opening and
the Iranian equalised almost by force, leading the game to a rook and
minor piece ending wherein Harikrishna had a slightly inferior pawn
structure. The draw was agreed to after 55 moves when Harikrishna
could make no headway against a near impregnable black’s position.
Tania was unlucky to lose against Hakki after putting up a spirited
show. The Syrian had only a level position for the major part of the
game till Tania blundered and lost a pawn without much compensation.
Tania is pitted against WGM Julia Mashinskaya of Russia, whose rating
is less than her own, in the next round.
Currently Tania’s performance rating is 2436 Elo points, which is
quite sufficient for the second WGM norm if she scores even one point
from remaining two matches. However, had Tania drawn the seventh
round game, the norm would have been automatically made as she would
have met another higher rated player.
Amongst other Indians in the fray, IM Neelotpal Das defeated
Al-Tamimi Hamad of Qatar and Eesha Karvade accounted for Amer Mohamed
of Egypt. Drawing their games were S Kidambi and Aarthie Ramswamy who
signed peace with local interests Jasim A R Saleh and Mohamed Hossein
respectively while WGM Nisha Mohota was on the receiving end against
Konstantin Chernyshov of Russia.
Complete results round 7 (Indians unless specified): Ashot
Anastasian (5, Arm) drew with Ghaem Maghami Ehsan (5.5, Iri); Pavl
Kotsur (5.5, Kaz) beat Mikhail Kobalia (4.5, Rus); Evgeny Gleizerov
(5.5, Rus) beat Artashes Minasian (4.5, Arm); Evgeny Vladimirov (4.5,
Kaz) drew with R B Ramesh (4.5); P Harikrishna (4.5) drew with
Mahjoob Morteza (4.5, Iri); Dmitry Bocharov (5, Rus) beat Tejas Bakre
(4); Tissir Mohamed (4, Mar) drew with Artyom Timofeev (4, Rus);
Marat Dzhumaev (4.5, Uzb) beat Sergey Kayumov (4.5, Uzb); Ramil
Hasangatin (4.5, Rus) beat Kivanc Haznedaroglu (3.5, Tur); Safin
Shukhrat (4, Uzb) drew with Jasper Lauridsen (4, Den); Zeinab
Mamediarova (4, Aze) drew with Taleb Moussa (4, Uae); Imad Hakki
(4.5, Syr) beat Tania Sachdev (4); Konstantin Chernyshov (4, Rus)
beat Nisha Mohota (3); Tahir Vakhidov (4, Uzb) beat Nezad Husein Aziz
(3, Qat); Elshan Moradiabadi (3, Iri) lost to Abdullah Hassan (4,
Uae); Shadi Paridar (3, Iri) lost to Yannick Gozzoli (4, Fra),
Saidali Iuldacev (3, Uzb) drew with Julia Mashinskaya (3.5, Rus);
Alexander Raetsky (3, Rus) drew with Mikhail Ulibin (3, Rus); Faruk
Bistric (3, Bih) drew with Firuza Velikhanli (3, Aze); S Kidambi (3)
drew with Jasim A R Saleh (3, UAE); Neelotpal Das (3) beat Al-Tamimi
Hamad (2.5, Qat); Mohamed Hossein (3, UAE) drew with Aarthie
Ramaswamy (2.5); Atousa Pourkashiyan (3, IRI) beat Saleh Nabil (2,
UAE); Tayeb Suhail (2.5, UAE) drew with Illijin Neboisa (2.5, Rom);
Eesha Karavade (3) beat Amer Mohamed (2, Egy); James Coleman (2, Eng)
lost to Adina-Maria Bogza (2.5, Rom); Khalil Ibrahim (1.5, UAE) drew
with Saleh Najueb (1.5, UAE).
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THEATRE AFTER HAKOB PARONIAN MARKED
YEREVAN, August 20 (Noyan Tapan). The Yerevan Theatre of Comedy after
Hakob Paronian is 60 years old. In connection with this on August 19 a
jubilee event was organized within the framework of the “One Nation,
One Culture” first Pan-Armenian cultural festival. Actors from other
theatres, as well as art workers from abroad took part in the
event. Aram Ter-Hovhannisian, Armenak Ter-Abrahamian, Shara Talian,
Edvard Hambartsumian, Karp Khachvankian, Meline Hamamjian, Mayis
Gharagyozian, Tatik Sarian, Artemy Ayvazian and other great cultural
workers stood at the sources of the theatre. The famous actors with
their brilliant acting occupied their place in the history of Armenian
theatre. Yervand Ghazanchian, the Chairman of the Theatre Workers’
Union of Armenia, the Artistic Director of the theatre, told Noyan
Tapan that the theatre established in the years of the Second World
War 60 years running has made its spectators laugh. The theatre
continued this mission even in the hard years of blockade of the
newly-independent Armenia. “In the years of hunger and darkness we
tried to play without losing hope. Though it was impossible, difficult
to work in those years we played and thank God we were able to
overcome that desperate situation,” he mentioned. Meanwhile Yervand
Ghazanchian mentioned that the theatre also had losses in the previous
4-5 years, the great figures of the theatre died and only Svetlana
Grigorian has remained among them. At present actors of middle and
younger generation work at the theatre, Seda Marian Kalantarian, Zaven
Abrahamian, Boris Pepanian, Mariam Ghazarian, Varuzhan Gasparian,
Varuzhan Man ukian. The head of the theatre said that the new
theatrical season will open on September 9 with the premiere of the
“National Worker” play by Alexander Shirvanzade. And by the end of the
year the theatre repertoire consisting of 16 performances will be
completed with the “In the Reformatory” Aghasi Ayvazian’s play, which
is the staging of the “From Yerevan Reformatory” Yeghishe Charents’
work.

WORKING OUT OF KINDS OF COMPULSORY INSURANCE TO START FROM NEXT YEAR
IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, August 20 (Noyan Tapan). From 2005 working out of the kinds
of compulsory insurance will start in RA Ministry of Finance and
Economy. At present 19 insurance companies acting in the sphere carry
out voluntary insurance of property, luggage, accidents, aviation
risks, as well as medical insurance.
Davit Avetisian, RA Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy, told Noyan
Tapan that introducion of the system of compulsory insurance will
contribute to further development of the sphere and growth of volumes
of foreign investments. In connection with the latter it was mentioned
that a number of American, Russian, German and French companies are
interested in the Armenian insurance market. The Deputy Minister aslo
mentioned that growth may be registered in the sphere even only under
conditions of voluntary insurance, some companies work with about 50%
profitableness. According to D.Avetisian, 3 years later the Armenian
insurance companies will correspond to European standards with the
volumes of their capital. According to the new law “On Insurance”
adopted in early June by the NA, the minimum amount of capital of
companies has already increased.

ARMENIA CUTS BY HALF ITS CAPITAL CONTRIBUTION TO BLACK SEA BANK OF
TRADE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
YEREVAN, August 20 (Noyan Tapan). Armenia cuts its capital
contribution to the Black Sea Bank of Trade and Economic Development
(BSBTED) from 2% to 1%, or 10 mln SDR. According to the RA Ministry of
Finances and Economy, regardless of the fact that the Black Sea Bank
of Trade and Economic Development has great authority, it was
inexpedient for Armenia to put up great means to the capital of the
bank. It was noticed that other similar international organizations
implement more programs in the republic under the conditions of the
same participation of Armenia in them. The establishment of the
Financial Service jointly with the “Izmirian” Foundation was the
BSBTED only investment in Armenia. A credit line of 4 mln dollars for
direct crediting of the small and medium enterprises in Armenia was
opened by the Fund founders in February 2003. But only several credits
have been given up to now. The Black Sea Bank of Trade and Economic
Development was established by Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Russia,
Moldova, Romania, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Ukraine in
1999. The capital of the bank makes about 1 bln SDR (1.325 bln
dollars). The bank contributes to the economic development of the
countries-members and to the deepening of the regional cooperation. It
should be noticed that during the annual meeting of the Council of
Bank Founders, which was held in Tirana (Albania) this year, Armenia
undertook obligations of the chairman for a year, Russia and Moldova
took obligations of co-chairmen (Azerbaijan refused from
chairmanship). At the meeting the representative of Armenia suggested
that the bank should also implement a joint regional program, and it
was apprehended positively. The next similar meeting will be held in
Armenia on June 5, 2005. The “Business Day” with the participation of
foreign investors and representatives of great corporations will be
held within the framework of this meeting.

“TEACHERS OF ARMENIA AND SPYURK AREN’T COMPLETELY PROTECTED,” HRANUSH
HAKOBIAN DECLARES
YEREVAN, August 20 (Noyan Tapan). Both in Armenia and in Spyurk
teachers aren’t completely protected, but the state undertakes certain
steps in the direction of this. Hranush Hakobian, the Chairwoman of
the RA NA Standing Commission on Issues of Education, Science, Culture
and Youth, mentioned this at the August 20 meeting with 50 teachers
from the Diaspora participating in the retraining courses in
Yerevan. She mentioned that compared with the previous year the
teachers’ salary has doubled in 2004 reaching from $30 to $60 and in
2005 it’s envisaged to increase the salary till 51 thousand drams
(about $100). Touching upon the issue of introduction of a joint
system of education H.Hakobian mentioned that each pupil living in
Armenia should also learn Western Armenian. The MP found it difficult
to speak about the terms of introduction of this system, but she
didn’t exclude that the RA government will make the corresponding
decision in the future. H.Hakobian also emphasized the necessity of
legislative stipulation of the right of double citizenship, which has
already been included into the package of Constitutional reforms.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IN ARMENIA EDUCATION IS AHEAD OF ECONOMY BY DEVELOPMENT RATES
YEREVAN, August 20 (Noyan Tapan). In Armenia education by its
development rates is ahead of economy, and for this reason
unemployment in the country makes 9%. Hranush Hakobian, Chairwoman of
the RA NA Standing Commission on Education, Science, Culture and Youth
Issues, told about it at the August 20 meeting with 51 Diasporan
teachers participating in the training courses in Yerevan.
According to her, this situation can only be regulated if the
development of the economy reaches a level at which it is possible to
provide all the higher schools graduates with jobs. At the same time,
H. Hakobian noted that there is a problem of supply and demand in
Armenia’s labor market.
However, according to her, higher schools have not been restructured
so that they train specialists needed for the labor market. H. Hakobian
reported that today 1,482 comprehensive schools function in the
republic, and about 80,000 students study at 6 state-owned and 81
private higher schools.