Armenian-Americans mark final day of Homenetmen Navasartian Games in

Los Angeles Daily News, CA
July 6 2013

Armenian-Americans mark final day of Homenetmen Navasartian Games in Los Angeles

By Susan Abram, Staff Writer

VAN NUYS – With medals hanging around their necks and polished
trophies at their sides, thousands of Armenian-American athletes
marked the closing of the Homenetmen Navasartian Games on Saturday in
Los Angeles with a parade, a festival and long-lasting friendships.

The nonprofit Armenian General Athletic Union and Scouts — referred
to as Homenetmen Western U.S. Region — has held the Olympics-style
games for nearly four decades in L.A. Teams from 18 chapters within
the western region competed in an eight-week tournament that began in
May, in sports such as basketball, soccer, tennis, track and field,
volleyball, swimming, table tennis and chess.

Saturday marked the end of the 38th annual competition held at
Birmingham High School. The event drew roughly 6,000 competitors and
spectators from Southern California, the Bay Area and throughout the
West, including Arizona and Nevada.

This year’s participants ranged in age 5 to 71 years old, organizers said.

“This is the biggest community event of its kind outside of Armenia,”
said Mher Tavidian, chairman of the organizing committee for the
games. “Every year, the event becomes bigger and grows as the
community has grown.”

Homenetmen is a worldwide nonprofit organization founded in 1918 in
Instanbul, Turkey. There are now 100 chapters spread out globally. The
goal behind the organization is to promote athleticism and unity among
Armenian youth, as well as the spirit of competition, said Alec
Araradian, member of the western region executive committee.

This summer, the winning teams from the western region will participate

Winners will take home all kinds of hardware after the months-long
Homenetmen Navasartian Games, an Armenian athletic competition
involving thousands of competitors that concluded Saturday at
Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, CA. (John McCoy / Staff
Photographer)
similar games in Armenia.

“It’s going to be an experience of a lifetime for many of them,” he said.

During the festivities, attendees enjoyed food such as shawarma and
soujouk or Armenian sausage sold by dozens of vendors as well as
musical performance from top Armenian singers and fireworks. The
entire eight-week event is run by volunteers, many of them who grew up
competing in the Navasartian Games as children, said Salpi Jejeian,
who also sits on the board of the Homenetmen western region.

Jejeian was a 5-year-old when she first took part in the Navasartian
Games. She met her husband, also an athlete, 23 years ago at a victory
ball held during the games, and they now have two children who
participated in this year’s competitions.

“It’s like my second home,” she said of the organization. “It’s like family.”

Soseh Thomasian began competing in the games when she was 5 years old.
Now 12, she said she looks forward to the event each year. Her team,
which represents the San Fernando Valley, won in basketball.

“They’re fun,” she said of the games. “You get to meet people from
other chapters and make new friends.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress