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[Yervant1]

ARTSAKH SOCCER TEAM BEATS ABKHAZIA 3-0

http://asbarez.com/1...s-abkhazia-3-0/
Monday, October 22nd, 2012

The Artsakh and Abkhazia teams prior to the match

STEPANAKERT-The Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) National Soccer
team beat Abkhazia 3 to 0 in a friendly match played at the Stepenakert
Stadium, reported the Stepanakert-based Aparaj newspaper.

This was a second match between the two teams. The first took place
in September in Sukhumi and the game was tied 1 to 1.

The coach of the Abkhazia team, Djuma Kvartskhelia, said that during
the prior match, the teams played very well. "It is difficult to say
what the outcome will be today," said Kvartskhelia. "Let's hope that
the teams will display true sportsmanship and will play a good game."

The game was attended by Artsakh's President Bako Sahakian and other
high-level officials. Sahakian said that such sporting events are
important both as a means to advance the sport and also to bolster
relations between two friendly nations.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Athletic Club director Valery Avanessian said
the stadium, which was completely renovated in 2008, is equipped to
stage such games on a regular basis.

In September, the Artsakh soccer team became eligible to compete on
the international arena, according to a report by Lusine Musayelyan
for the RFE/RL Armenian Service.

The team's coach Sarkis Aghajanyan said the Karabakh team will compete
within the Non-Recognized States' Soccer Association, which was
established in 2003 in Liege, Belgium and works to organize friendly
matches between non-recognized states.

Spectators at the Artsakh-Abkhazia match at Stepanekert Stadium
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic joined Abkhazia, South Ossetia,
Trans-Dnester, Kosovo and Tibet in this year's competitions.

"This is one of the major steps in our post-war reality. This is
our only chance to enter the international arena and stand under our
national flag with our national anthem. This is already a different
feeling," said Aghajanyan referring to the Artsakh Team's entry into
the League.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic soccer team is financed through the
state budget, which this year has an earmark of 70 million drams. This
amount, according to Aghajanyan, allows the team to not fall behind
on training. The team players are mainly 19- to 20-year old athletes,
who, according to the coach, lack experience.

Aghajanyan reassured, however, the people of Karabakh do not like
to lose.

"Although unrecognized, we now have a status that allows us to
compete in matches. The entire world and the UEFA will see this,"
said Aghajanyan.

Azerbaijan has impeded the participation of the Karabakh team in any
competition thus far, including one against Armenia's national team.

Until now, the Karabakh soccer team was held hostage to Soviet
politics. In 1987, when the Karabakh movement had just started the
Kirovabad team lost to Stepanakert 3 to 1, following which clashes
took place between Armenian and Azeri team during subsequent matches.

As a result, the Soviet government mandated the Stepanakert team play
its home games in other Azeri regions.