Category: 2023

AW: Sunday at the AYF Olympics

Anna Tamamian
September 4, 2023 Mark Gavoor AYF Olympics, Diaspora 0

When the AYF Olympics started in 1934, it was a track and field event on a humble grass field.  Since then, it has grown from a one-day event to a four-day sport and entertainment phenomenon. Track is still at the core of the Olympics, as it is where the bulk of the points for athletic events are won and where the chapter winner is decided.

Fans taking shade under the tents

This year, track and field took place at the beautiful Prince George’s County Sports and Learning Complex in Landover, MD.  There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, but we were in for a very Washington kind of mid-90s temperature and humidity. The Washington Steering Committee had dozens of tents for the athletes and fans. There was plenty of water and sports drinks to keep everyone hydrated. Yet nothing could stop the athletes from participating in the individual events and earning points for their chapters. 

Opening Ceremonies at the Prince George’s County Sports and Learning Complex in Landover, MD AYF Central Executive chair Nareg Mkrtschjan delivering his remarks as the other dignitaries look on The Olympic Torch

The opening ceremonies reflected on the history and value of the AYF and the Olympics, as well as the plight of our people in Artsakh under siege by Azerbaijan. The athletes marched wearing t-shirts in honor of Artsakh, clearly stating “End the Blockade,” and carrying Artsakh flags. They sang the American, Armenian and Artsakh national anthems. His Eminence, Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Artsakh Permanent Representative to the U.S. Robert Avetisyan, ARF Eastern US Central Committee chair Ani Tchaghlasian, ANCA chair Raffi Hamparian, AYF Central Executive chair Nareg Mkrtschjan and other speakers all offered messages of our need to be strong in the diaspora to support Armenia and Artsakh.

Expert and entertaining announcements and commentary were provided by Kyle Dinkjian and Avi Keshgegian. At the start of track and field, Boston had a good lead with Detroit trailing. When the total points were announced in the afternoon, Detroit had taken a slight lead. Detroit proceeded to win all the relays, at which point most in the know (the coaches) knew the results.

The rest of us had to wait until the awards ceremony at the Olympic Ball at around 11 p.m. for the results. Mkrtschjan read the point totals, and Detroit had indeed won. Here are the top five chapters and their point totals:

  1. Detroit – 200
  2. Great Boston – 156.5
  3. Philadelphia – 72.5
  4. Providence – 64
  5. New Jersey – 49
  6. New York – 30 The winning Detroit “Kopernik Tandourjian” Chapter

The most improved chapter trophy went to Chicago. Anto Keshgegian was awarded the Nahigian Spirit Trophy.  

There were six high scorers (three gold medals in individual events):

  1. Natalia Oganesion Providence
  2. Nareg Minassian Greater Boston
  3. Knar Topouzian Detroit
  4. Melanie Sarafian Detroit
  5. Alexander Vardarian Philadelphia
  6. Avo Sarkissian New York  High scorers at the Olympic Ball

The women’s and men’s pentathlon winners were:

  1. Anoush Krafian Greater Boston
  2. Sasoun Tcholakian Detroit

Two records were broken this weekend:

  1. Anoush Krafian Women’s Pentathlon
  2. Natalia Oganesian 50 Butterfly

There was music and dancing at the Olympic Ball before the awards ceremony, and it kicked into high gear after the awards as Philadelphia, Boston and Detroit celebrated with their chapter dances. Everyone was celebrating and hoisting their trophies. It was beautiful and captured the essence of the AYF Olympics.

The Olympic All-Star Band with Hooshere Bezdikian and Michael Gostanian on vocals

Musicians John Berberian, Mal Barsamian, Steve Vosbikian, Ara Dinkjian, Jim Kizirian and Alek Surenian were superb and kept things hopping. They were tight, well-balanced and played all the favorites expertly. Hooshere Bezdikian and Michael Gostanian did a wonderful job on vocals. This is the first time we have had a female singer join the All-Star Band at the Olympic Ball and two singers performing duets. Chalk up another innovation to the Washington Steering Committee.

The 89th AYF Olympics were superbly organized and well run. Kudos to the Washington community and the Steering Committee for creating another memorable Olympics weekend. It takes a small well-organized army to pull off a weekend like the one we just experienced.

Congratulations to all the athletes, to those who scored points and those who participated for the love of the Olympics. Congratulations to the AYF and the Armenian spirit.

Be sure to look for more in-depth coverage of the entire AYF Olympics in D.C. in the Armenian Weekly Olympics Special Issue. If you’d like to support the publication of this special insert, we invite you to become a page sponsor.

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Mark Gavoor is Associate Professor of Operations Management in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University in Chicago. He is an avid blogger and oud player.


RFE/RL Armenian Service – 09/04/023

Emil Karabekian 
                                        Monday, September 4, 2023


Karabakh To Ration Bread Due To Blockade


Nagorno-Karabakh - People line up outside a bakery in Stepanakert.


Authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh have decided to ration bread in the capital 
Stepanakert to cope with a serious shortage of flour resulting from Azerbaijan’s 
nine-month blockade of the Lachin corridor.

They began handing out Monday ration stamps to residents of the town which is 
home to roughly half of Karabakh’s estimated population of 120,000. Starting 
from Tuesday, every Stepanakert resident will be able to buy only half a loaf of 
bread weighing 200 grams.

Bread has become an even more important staple food in Stepanakert and other 
Karabakh towns since Azerbaijan tightened the blockade in mid-June by halting 
all relief supplies to the Armenian-populated region carried out by Russian 
peacekeepers and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Local food stores 
have run out of most other basic foodstuffs rationed since January.

The bread shortage worsened at the end of August, with locals spending more 
hours waiting in lines to buy up to two loaves per person from bakeries.

Karabakh’s Agricultural Support Fund again urged local farmers at the weekend to 
sell off their wheat stocks and thus help alleviate the deficit. The fund set a 
higher price -- 250 drams per kilogram (65 U.S. cents) -- and offered other 
incentives in hopes of buying more wheat grown by them.

By comparison, the market-based wholesale price of wheat in Armenia currently 
stands at less than 100 drams per kilogram.

“Dear farmers, please … sell the stored wheat to the fund so that we can 
together overcome the existing crisis as soon as possible,” the public agency 
said in a statement. “The struggle is not only war, this is also a struggle from 
which we can emerge victorious only thanks to our unity.”

The humanitarian crisis has prompted serious concern from the United States, the 
European Union and other international actors. As well as insisting on the 
immediate reopening of the Lachin corridor, the Western powers have implicitly 
urged Karabakh to agree to another, Azerbaijani-controlled supply route sought 
by Baku.

Most Karabakh Armenians appear to remain strongly opposed to that route. Scores 
of them have been blocking a road leading to the Azerbaijani town of Aghdam to 
prevent two Azerbaijani trucks loaded with 40 tons of flour from entering 
Karabakh. They as well as the authorities in Stepanakert believe that the 
proposed aid is a publicity stunt aimed at legitimizing the blockade and helping 
Azerbaijan regain full control over Karabakh.




Tensions Mount Between Russia, Armenia


Russia - Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Armenian Prime Minister 
Nikol Pashinian in his Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, April 19, 2022.


Russia denounced on Monday Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s fresh criticism of 
Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh and his claims that Moscow is 
“unwilling or unable” to defend Armenia and may eventually leave the South 
Caucasus.

Highlighting unprecedented tensions between the two allied countries, a Russian 
official warned Yerevan against helping the West “squeeze Russia out” of the 
region.

In an interview with Italy’s La Repubblica daily publicized by his press office 
over the weekend, Pashinian declared that his government is trying to “diversify 
our security policy” because Armenia’s long-standing heavy reliance on Russia 
has proved a “strategic mistake.”

“Armenia’s security architecture, including the logic of weapons and ammunition 
acquisition, has been connected to Russia by 99,999 percent,” he said. “But now 
that Russia itself needs weapons and munitions [amid the war in Ukraine] it is 
obvious that in this situation the Russian Federation could not provide for 
Armenia's security needs even if it wanted to.”

“The Russian Federation has been in our region, the South Caucasus, for quite a 
long time. But we have seen situations when the Russian Federation simply left 
the South Caucasus in one day, one month or one year,” he went on, apparently 
referring to the 1917 collapse of the Russian Empire.

“There are processes that, of course, lead one to think that the same scenario 
could be repeated and that one day we will simply wake up and see that Russia is 
not here,” added Pashinian.

Russia hit back at Pashinian, with an unnamed “diplomatic source” in Moscow 
calling Pashinian’s comments “unacceptable.”

“In fact, they are trying to artificially squeeze Russia out of the South 
Caucasus, using Yerevan as a means of achieving this goal,” the source told the 
official TASS news agency. “As Armenia’s closest neighbor and friend, Russia, 
does not intend to leave the region. However, this should be a two-way street: 
Armenia should also not become a weapon for the West to squeeze out Russia.”

Pashinian also slammed the Russian peacekeeping forces for their failure to 
reopen the Lachin corridor, Nagorno-Karabakh’s sole land link with Armenia, 
blocked by Azerbaijan last December. The blockade, he said, means the 
peacekeepers are “not fulfilling their mission” defined by the Russian-brokered 
agreement that stopped the 2020 war in Karabakh.

The Russian source cited by TASS rejected Pashinian’s “baseless attacks” on the 
peacekeepers. He said that the Armenian premier’s controversial recognition of 
Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh “made the work of the Russian peacekeeping 
contingent as difficult as possible.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, likewise charged on 
August 30 that Pashinian’s far-reaching concession to Baku paved the way for the 
Azerbaijani blockade and the resulting humanitarian crisis in Karabakh. Her 
Armenian opposite number dismissed the claim and cited a long list of Armenian 
grievances against Moscow.

The rift between Moscow and Yerevan has deepened over the past year, fueling 
speculation about a pro-Western shift in Armenia’s traditional geopolitical 
orientation. Some of Pashinian’s political allies and Western-funded civic 
groups have welcomed such a prospect. By contrast, Armenia’s main opposition 
groups are seriously concerned about it, arguing that the West is not ready to 
give Armenia security guarantees or significant military aid.




Armenian Airport Again ‘Struck By Azeri Gunfire’

        • Ruzanna Stepanian

Armenia - An L-410 plane carrying Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian lands at Kapan 
airport, August 17, 2023.


Azerbaijani troops have reportedly opened fire at the civilian airport of Kapan 
for the third time since the recent start of commercial flights between the 
Armenian border town and Yerevan.

Armenia’s Investigative Committee confirmed on Monday reports that the small 
airport’s walls and windows were damaged by several gunshots fired early on 
September 1. The committee said it is conducting a criminal investigation into 
attempted murder and damage to property motivated by “ethnic hatred.”

“According to preliminary data, the gunshots were fired from 
Azerbaijani-controlled territory,” the spokesman for the law-enforcement agency, 
Gor Abrahamian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.

Armenia’s state border guard service said earlier that the Kapan airport first 
came under cross-border fire on August 18 less than 24 hours after a plane 
carrying Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian landed there. According to it, three 
gunshots were fired from Azerbaijani army positions overlooking the facility, 
damaging its roof and one of the windows.

Another shooting incident was reported on August 19 just minutes after a plane 
carrying other senior officials from Yerevan touched down on the runway. Local 
officials accused Azerbaijan of trying to disrupt the first post-Soviet flight 
service between Yerevan and Kapan launched by the NovAir airline on August 21.

Later in August, the Armenian government notified the International Civil 
Aviation Organization (ICAO) about the shootings and asked the 193-nation body 
to help prevent a repeat of such incidents.

A spokeswoman for a Yerevan-based ticketing agency representing NovAir said that 
the airline continued its twice-weekly flights to and from Kapan, most recently 
on Monday, following the latest gunfire. The private carrier uses small L-410 
aircraft capable of carrying up to 17 passengers.




Thousands Rally In Yerevan For Karabakh


Armenia - Opposition supporters rally in Yerevan, September 2, 2023.


The Armenian opposition rallied thousands of supporters in Yerevan at the 
weekend to show support for Nagorno-Karabakh’s population blockaded by 
Azerbaijan and demand Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s resignation.

The rally organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) 
and joined by other major opposition parties as well as former Presidents Serzh 
Sarkisian and Robert Kocharian was timed to coincide with the 32nd anniversary 
of the proclamation of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It came amid 
a worsening humanitarian crisis in the Armenian-populated region resulting from 
the nearly nine-month Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin corridor.

“Today the heroic people of Artsakh are putting up unprecedented resistance,” 
Dashnaktsutyun leader Ishkhan Saghatelian told the crowd rallying in Yerevan’s 
Liberty Square. “The Armenian mother, with her hungry child in her arms, refuses 
the food offered by the enemy and declares that this struggle is a struggle for 
identity, for dignity, for living in the native land and for self-determination.”

Echoing Russian Foreign Ministry statements, Saghatelian claimed that Pashinian 
paved the way for the blockade with his recognition of Azerbaijani sovereignty 
over Karabakh. Pashinian has no popular mandate to make such a concession to 
Baku, he said, branding the Armenian premier as a European Union “puppet.”

Armenia - Opposition leader Ishkhan Saghatelian speaks during a rally in 
Yerevan, September 2, 2023.

“All mediating countries and international organizations should bear in mind 
that the person with whom they are negotiating today and who speaks on behalf of 
Armenia does not represent the Armenian people and any agreement reached with 
him is null and void,” added Saghatelian.

Saghatelian went on to promise renewed opposition protests aimed at scuttling a 
“treasonous” peace deal with Azerbaijan and removing Pashinian from power. “Our 
next meeting will not come too late,” he told the demonstrators without giving 
any dates.

Armenia’s main opposition groups jointly staged daily protests in Yerevan in May 
and June 2022 after Pashinian signaled readiness to “lower the bar” on 
Karabakh’s status acceptable to his government. They claim to have delayed a 
“capitulation agreement” with Baku despite failing to topple him.

Dashnaktsutyun vowed to launch another protest movement after Pashinian 
explicitly recognized Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan in May this year. 
Saghatelian spoke on Saturday of “active discussions taking place in the 
opposition camp” for that purpose.



Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Azerbaijani authorities continue intense fake news campaign, again falsely accuse Armenia of border gunfire

Ani Kharatian

 13:50, 4 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani authorities released their third disinformation on Monday, once again falsely accusing the Armenian military of opening fire across the border, the Armenian Ministry of Defense warned in a statement Monday afternoon.

“The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan continues to spread disinformation. The statement disseminated by the [Ministry of Defense] of Azerbaijan as if on September 4, at around 11:20 a.m., the units of the Armenian Armed Forces opened fire at the Azerbaijani combat outposts located in the southwestern part of the border, is another disinformation,” the Armenian Ministry of Defense said.

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense has been spreading fake news nearly every day in recent days, with what has been described by Armenian authorities as a sign of Baku plotting new provocations.

Yerevan to host World Tourism Investment Forum

Garik Boshkezenian

 14:46, 4 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS. Yerevan will host the World Tourism Investment Forum, organized by the Tourism Committee of Armenia in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), on September 6-8.

The event will be attended by representatives from United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) member states, tourism officials from other countries, foreign and local investors, delegates from international organizations and the private sector.

Participants will explore emerging travel tendencies and evolving consumer behavior in this geopolitically and economically sensitive era. The event will offer valuable insights into the global investment climate. The Forum will feature high-level dialogues, panel discussions, keynotes, and fireside chats, bringing together industry leaders and experts. The focal point will be critical investment trends and challenges facing the tourism sector today. Attendees can expect engaging discussions that shape the future of tourism investment.

“Of course, global trends will be presented, but Armenia will be presented separately. This is a good chance for presenting Armenia’s investment opportunities and projects. We will emphasize a number of directions, such as cultural tourism, gastro-tourism, wine tourism and adventure tourism,” said Sisian Boghossian, the Head of the Tourism Committee of Armenia.  She added that a forthcoming major project in collaboration with the World Bank will also be unveiled during the event, and it could interest investors.

Demonstrators in Amsterdam call for sanctions against Aliyev regime for genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh

Vicken Chmshkian

 16:30, 4 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS. Dutch politicians, academics, students and many others joined the Armenian community of the Netherlands on September 2 in a demonstration demanding international action to bring an end to the Azerbaijani genocidal actions led by the Aliyev regime against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The demonstrators called for international sanctions against Azerbaijan.

Journalist Sonja Dahlmans was among participants.

In a post on X, she said she was honored to participate in the protest demanding an end to the blockade of Lachin Corridor. She said that the Azeri actions constitute genocide.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. The ICJ reaffirmed its order on 6 July 2023.

Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations.

 



Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 04-09-23

Alex Nanijanian

 17:14, 4 September 2023

YEREVAN, 4 SEPTEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 4 September, USD exchange rate down by 0.11 drams to 385.79 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.62 drams to 416.81 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.01 drams to 3.99 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 1.68 drams to 487.45 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 28.57 drams to 24069.49 drams. Silver price up by 1.27 drams to 305.68 drams.

AW: Friday at the AYF Olympics

Vicken Chmshkian
September 2, 2023 Mark Gavoor AYF Olympics, Diaspora 0

Golfers warming up

Friday is the official start of the AYF Olympics for athletes, beginning with golf and tennis in the morning followed by swimming in the late afternoon. Golf and tennis are wonderful ways for AYFers to make new friends while competing. After the athletics, there are three dances, beginning with the Alumni Dance at 7 p.m., the AYF dance at 11 p.m., and, for the young and energetic, AYF hook-up at 2 a.m.  

Golf took place at the Oak Creek Golf Club in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.  The course is beautiful, well kept and glistened with morning dew when we arrived.  Part of the beauty and challenge of the course is its open but rolling terrain, as noted by many golfers. Manoug Habibian from the D.C. Olympic Steering Committee and Mark Manuelian of the Governing Body worked in concert with the congenial Oak Creek staff for a well-organized and good day for golf.

Over sixty golfers—both current AYFers and alumni, including many familiar faces—arrived by 7:30 a.m., had a light breakfast, warmed up on the driving range and practice green, and headed to their carts for an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start. Last year’s winner for the men, Alex Kassabian, was playing with his brother. On the women’s side, Theresa Jelalian played but was not competing. She opted to do the pentathlon for her last year—something she always wanted to do—and we will see more of her at the games on Sunday.

Women’s Golf Medalists

Mike Manoogian won the alumni golf, Shayna McCarthy from New Jersey took the gold for the women, and on the men’s side, it was Alex Kassabian of New York repeating as the gold medalist with an impressive score of 69.

Women’s Tennis participants

After the second hole, I headed over to tennis at the East Potomac Tennis Center.  By the very nature of the name, the center was on the Potomac River in the heart of D.C. with the Washington Monument towering over the venue.  For the first time ever, we took a photo of all the players together right at the start. As the matches kicked off, fans wondered if the New Jersey women would continue their dominance of tennis. Would Providence sweep tennis on the men’s side, and would Hagop Taraksian not only defend his crown but tie Olympic King Harry Derderian’s impressive record of six straight tennis gold medals?

Women’s tennis medalists Men’s Tennis Medalists

The New Jersey women certainly dominated with Mia Setrakian taking the gold and the Ayrian sisters taking second and fourth. For the men, Taraksian did indeed take the gold and tie Derderian’s impressive record, but it was not easy. Michael-Armen Kadian of Detroit played brilliantly all day to make it to the final match of the day, which was one of the best tennis matches I have ever seen. Taraksian and Kadian were equally matched, and both were determined to win. Taraksian took the first set 6-4, and Kadian roared back dominating Taraksian 5-2 in the second. It looked like Kadian  was surging, but Taraksian dug deep and took the last set. Both were exhausted, and in the wonderful spirit of the AYF, praised the skills and fortitude of their opponent.

Swimmers diving in Natalia Oganesian

Next on the Friday agenda was swimming in the beautiful pool at the Wakefield Aquatic Center in Arlington, Virginia. The swim meet began at close to the official start time, the races ran back-to-back, and the medals were awarded with equally efficiency. Kudos to Governing Body members Mark Manuelian, Daron Topouzian and Ara Sarajian for a job well done. Outstanding performers were Natalia Oganesian of Providence with three gold medals and Nareg Minassian of Greater Boston who may have matched Oganesian with three golds.  

Then, it was off to the Alumni Dance—a wonderful evening of dancing to the music of the very talented Yerakouyn Band from Philly.  The dancing was so vibrant, we Armenians broke the dance floor, which the hotel staff expertly repaired to keep the festivities going. The local community provided a lavish table of Armenian delicacies to everyone’s enjoyment. Following the Yerakouyn Band, Armen Chamichyan took over until 2 a.m. when DJ Leo finished the night until 4 a.m.

Olympic King Ara Kouchakdjian and Varadian Spirit Award recipient Elizabeth Chouldjian

A longstanding tradition at the Alumni Dance is to name the Olympic Kings, Queens and recipient(s) of the Varadian Spirit Award. This year, Ara Kouchakdjian was named Olympic King, and the recipient of the Varadian Spirit Award was Elizabeth Chouldjian—both well-deserving of these honors. Kouchakdjian was honored by the award but thought many others were more deserving, and Chouldjian wanted to dedicate the award to the people of Artsakh and their resilient Armenian spirit. 

Look for the Armenian Weekly’s Special Olympics Issue for more in-depth coverage of all of these events, as well as the honorees.

Next up on Saturday is AYF softball, the picnic and Nersik and Arabo Ispiryan at the evening dance.

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Mark Gavoor is Associate Professor of Operations Management in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University in Chicago. He is an avid blogger and oud player.


AW: Saturday at the AYF Olympics

Hagop Kamalian
September 3, 2023 Mark Gavoor AYF Olympics, Diaspora 0

Saturday at the AYF Olympics has become something special. There are two athletic events—  softball and basketball—plus a picnic with music, and of course, the Saturday night dance. Softball and basketball usually take place at the same venue or within a short walking distance from each other. The picnic was previously held on Monday, but as families began traveling home on Labor Day, combining it with softball was a brilliant idea. These days, large crowds of people socialize, root for their teams, enjoy some kebab, and listen and dance to Armenian music.  

There are no points awarded for softball or basketball, so they have no bearing on which chapter wins the Olympics. The Olympic events of swimming, tennis, golf, track and field are individual events. Participants earn points in individual events, contributing to their chapter’s total. Softball and basketball are team sports and bring a new dynamic to the Olympics with both spirited fans and games. While everyone strives to win, it is also about the camaraderie and having fun.  

Happily displaying face painting

This year’s venue for softball and the picnic was spectacular. Washington took it to a new level by having it at the National’s Youth Baseball Academy—a nine-acre campus with three baseball fields, plenty of seating and a large, covered pavilion between two of the three fields—all making for an exciting day of games. There were face painting and balloon sculpting booths that were immensely popular with the kids. The concessions? Well, they couldn’t make the food fast enough and sold out of almost everything.  

The games were fun to watch and very competitive. Another best practice of softball this year was having paid umpires for each game. The fields were in close proximity to each other and each field had stands. The larger field wher

The winning Providence “Varantian” team (Photo: Sona Gevorkian)

e the finals took place was more of a small stadium.  Detroit and Providence both had byes in the first round and found themselves in the championship game. Providence jumped out to a quick lead. Detroit fought back to make it close, but Providence prevailed and won the tournament.

For the first time I can recall, the close proximity of the fields allowed for each game to have an Armenian music soundtrack. The Norkef Ensemble provided the music, both for dancing and as the perfect background to all the games—a truly Armenian experience. People commented on how talented these young men are—all in their twenties—and how happy they are that our music will continue with another generation. Bravo Alek, Daron, Datev, Michael and Sam!

The three-on-three basketball tournament is a newer addition to the AYF Olympics that began about five years ago and is usually held on Saturday simultaneously with softball. Similar to previous years, many of the players would go straight from a softball game to play basketball and vice-versa. This year, for the first time, the games were held outdoors very close to the softball fields. The courts were right out of a movie—gritty, urban, no stands and a bit of grass growing out of the cracks in the surface where this kind of basketball was born.  

The New Jersey “Arsen” Team

On paper, Philadelphia was the odds-on favorite to win, and they did. The Philly team featured two very tall, athletic Keshgegian brothers who are accomplished players. The West Coast team gave them all they could handle in the semi-finals, and New Jersey did the same in the finals.  Both games went to the last point. In the finals, New Jersey had the athletic and talented Zorian brothers, along with their cousin. Both teams played with a lot of heart, as Philadelphia prevailed.

The winning Philadelphia “Sebouh” team

There will be more in-depth coverage of softball and basketball in the Armenian Weekly Olympics Special Issue.

Arabo and Nersik Ispiryan (Photo: Armene Kapamajian)

At the end of the day, it was off to the Saturday night dance featuring the ever-popular father and son duo: Nersik and Arabo Ispiryan. 1,700 tickets were sold for this event, and the dance floor was packed all night—a spectacular finish to a spectacular day at the AYF Olympics.

On Sunday, it is the track and field events and the Olympic Ball where we find out who the high scorers are and celebrate all the chapters that participated. 

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Mark Gavoor is Associate Professor of Operations Management in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University in Chicago. He is an avid blogger and oud player.


Armenian Social Council: SDF holds the key to peace in Syria

Manouk Vasilian
Syria – Sept 4 2023

Denouncing external efforts to instigate unrest in the region, the Armenian Social Council expressed their support for the SDF and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.

Members of the Armenian Social Council made a statement to the press in front of the council’s headquarters in the Kibaba neighborhood of Heseke.

The statement read by the co-chair of the council, Imad Teteryan, denounced the attempts of foreign powers and their collaborators that seek to incite sedition among the peoples in the region by distorting the Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) Operation Security Reinforcement against ISIS cells and criminal elements in Deir ez-Zor region and by portraying it as a campaign against tribes.

“The SDF is not a Kurdish force as some circles claim, but is made up of Arabs, Kurds, Armenians, Syriacs, Assyrians, Turkmens, Circassians, Christians, Muslims and Yazidis. The SDF protects all components and religions. It has freed the region from the atrocities, persecution and terror of ISIS mercenaries and their supporters. Half of the fighters in SDF ranks are made up of the children of the Arab population and tribes,” said the statement.

The Armenian Social Council pointed out that: “We are against any form of discrimination between religions. We are meant to live together in our land with pride, honor, love and peace. We support the SDF and the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. We stand against the intended instigation.”

The council stressed that the SDF holds the key to peace in Syria and is the people’s hope for freedom and equality.

https://anfenglish.com/rojava-syria/armenian-social-council-sdf-holds-the-key-to-peace-in-syria-69148

DW: Call for podcasting co-trainers in Armenia

Greg Madatian
DW – Deutsche Welle, Germany
Sept 4 2023

We are looking for experienced podcasting facilitators for a PodcasTraining program in Armenia.

We are looking for experienced podcasting facilitators for a training program in Armenia, jointly implemented with Media Initiatives Center. The goal is to help a group of up to twelve podcasters to improve their existing materials or start new projects.

Apply by September 10, 2023.

 

The "European Media Facility in Armenia – Building Sustainable and Professional Media" project is being implemented by DW Akademie in cooperation with BBC Media Action, Democracy Development Foundation (DDF), Hetq/ Investigative Journalists NGO and Factor TV. The project is funded by the European Union and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).