Armenia 2000 -=@=-

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PRESS RELEASE - 7 September, 2000

 

TEAM ARMENIA ARRIVES IN SYDNEY

At 8am on Wednesday 6 September a group of 18 athletes, as well as some officials and journalists arrived in Sydney from

Armenia for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The team is now settled into the Olympic Athletes Village and are making

preparations for their training schedule.

 

ARMENIAN CARRIES OLYMPIC TORCH

Stepan Kerkyasharian - Chairman of the Ethnic Affairs Commission NSW, and also attache of the National Olympic

Committee of Armenia, ran in the Olympic Torch Relay on Sunday 3rd September, in Penrith, Sydney before crowds of up to

50,000 people, amongst them a group of Armenians waving the Tri-colour! This is a great honour for the Armenian

Community. The Armenian Community is advised to watch out for the torch passing through Armenian populated areas of

RYDE area on Wednesday 13 September, Frenchs Forest area on Friday 15th September.

 

WARM WELCOME FOR THE ATHLETES

The school children of the AGBU Alexander School performed in the special Welcoming Ceremony for the Armenian Olympic

Team on Wednesday 6 September, in a special outdoor amphitheatre at the Athletes Village - Homebush. The Kids performed

a "G'day" song for which they had been in preparations for a number of months - as part of a special program organised by

SOCOG to welcome athletes of different nations as they arrive to the village. The athletes were also welcomed by the Mayor

of the village for that day, Mr Stepan Kerkyasharian. The team was presented with an aboriginal message stick and witnessed

an aboriginal dance. The children were thrilled to then have the opportunity to meet the athletes at a small reception after the

Welcoming Ceremony. Present were also the Platinum Sponsors of the Armenian NOC Sydney -Mr & Mrs Arshak & Sophie

Galstaun.

The children and teachers reported to have felt a great deal of pride in their heritage and also quite emotional seeing the

Armenian Olympic Team - in their Official Olympic tracksuits - march into the amphitheatre behind their country name. The

athletes also, felt honoured at the reception they received, and were pleased to see Armenian children keen to be around them

and ask for their autograph.

It cannot be underestimated how large an impact on our children the presence of the Armenian Olympic Team will be. Let's all

take advantage of these precious moments - ensure you and your children attend the Official Opening of Armenia House -

where the entire Community will feel the same sense of nationalism and pride in our Olympic Team.

 

ARMENIAN LOCALS DANCE IN OPENING CEREMONY

The Armenian NOC Sydney is pleased to announce that 8 Armenian dancers have been chosen by SOCOG to perform in the

Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games. Dancers are keeping their performance "Top Secret" but have advised us

they will start by dancing with traditional Armenian dance movements (whilst other dancers perform movements of other

nations) and will then join into a combined dance routine.

"Watch out for the green ring" we were told. Our Armenian dancers will begin dancing with Europe - the green ring, and will

then join the other Olympic Rings representing the rest of the world.

 

ARMENIAN OLYMPIC HERO TO COME TO SYDNEY

As part of the delegation to arrive in Sydney for the 2000 Games, is 71 year old Albert Azarian. This is Azarian's second visit

to Australia - the first being in 1956 for the Melbourne Olympics, where Albert Azarian competed in Men's Artistic Gymnastics

for the Soviet Union, winning two GOLD medals. Azarian then went on to win GOLD again in Rome in 1960.

Here's what has been written about him:

"On that famous day in December 1956, the Australian spectators at the Melbourne Olympic Games leapt from their seats with

one bound to acclaim a Soviet gymnast of Armenian origin who had just achieved an act of gymnastic prowess never before

seen. Suspended from the rings, Albert Azarian, world champion in that discipline since 1954, rose slowly into the air,

separating his powerful arms with ease, a smile on his face, and all of a sudden performed that famous cross with quarter turn,

first to the left and then to the right.

This cross is called the " Olympic Cross". His fellow-gymnasts said of him that he was the embodiment of beauty of movement

and of the physical force of the human being. AZARIAN also made a name for himself for his comradely ways and his

exemplary fair play. In no international competition was he ever beaten on the rings. He was the king!"

Azarian will be making an address at the Olympic Ball - September 16, at La Montage, Leichhardt.