Sports: Turkey’s first professional boxer Zakaryan dies at 90

Badalian Vardan 2020
Middle East Monitor
Jan 26 2020
Turkey’s first professional boxer Zakaryan dies at 90
at 3:33 pm

Turkey’s first professional boxer Garbis Zakaryan, [Twitter]

at 3:33 pm

    Turkey’s first professional boxer Garbis Zakaryan died today, at the age of 90, the boxing federation said, reports Anadolu Agency. 

    The Armenian-Turkish athlete is fondly remembered by his fans as “iron fist”.

    A staunch patriot, Zakaryan told Turkish daily Hurriyet in a 2013 interview that he wanted his coffin to be wrapped with the Turkish flag.

    He became a professional player at the age of 24 and in a career which spanned over 22 years won many local and amateur titles.

    He will be buried in Istanbul’s Sisli Armenian Cemetery on Jan. 29 after a funeral ceremony at the Armenian church.

    Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Badalian Vardan. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.

    Direct link to this article: https://www.armenianclub.com/2020/01/27/sports-turkeys-first-professional-boxer-zakaryan-dies-at-90/