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| Andranik Hakobyan (Red) |
As a country, Armenia is no stranger to international sporting success. The country can boast a host of sporting greats, medal winners and championship holders. At both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games Armenia is always well represented and even during the era of soviet occupation Armenian nationals figured regularly for the USSR Olympic team.
Amateur Boxer
The national sporting passion is Football; however, popular sports include wrestling, weightlifting, judo, chess and boxing. It was with Boxing that Andranik Hakobyan found his sporting excellence. He went on to become a two time Olympian, a World Silver medallist and Boxing World Cup winner.
Armenian Olympic Committee
Born October 6th, 1981 in what was then referred to as the Soviet Socialist Republic of Armenia, Andranik Hakobyan grew up in the historic city of Vagharshapat. He discovered boxing as a young man and soon learned to excel at the sport. By the time he was 18 years old Hakobyan was competing as a middleweight at a national level and within a few years was challenging for amateur titles across the world. It was not long before the Armenian Olympic Committee saw his potential and he was called up to the boxing squad at the 2008 Summer Olympics which were held in Beijing, China.
World Cup Success
Despite losing in his second round fight in Beijing, later the same year he was representing his country once again at the Boxing World Cup in Moscow. Hakobyan was able to put the disappointment of the Olympics behind him and won the World Cup in the middleweight class.
World Amateur Boxing Championships
The following year he brought home a silver medal from the World Amateur Boxing Championships held in Milan. He was unfortunate in the final, after winning five straight fights he was stopped in the final by Abbos Atoev from Uzbekistan. However, Hakobyan was hailed as a hero upon his return to Armenia as his silver medal was the first such medal for an independent Armenia.
Armenian Champion
The following year Hakobyan became the Armenian amateur middle weight champion and was courted by promoters representing the Armenia professional boxing circuit. However, he turned away from the professional side of the sport in favour of staying an amateur and reached the quarter finals of the 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships. However, this match was shrouded in controversy due to questionable scoring by the judges. Despite this defeat Hakobyan went on to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, making him a two time Olympian.
Amateur Boxer
The national sporting passion is Football; however, popular sports include wrestling, weightlifting, judo, chess and boxing. It was with Boxing that Andranik Hakobyan found his sporting excellence. He went on to become a two time Olympian, a World Silver medallist and Boxing World Cup winner.
Armenian Olympic Committee
Born October 6th, 1981 in what was then referred to as the Soviet Socialist Republic of Armenia, Andranik Hakobyan grew up in the historic city of Vagharshapat. He discovered boxing as a young man and soon learned to excel at the sport. By the time he was 18 years old Hakobyan was competing as a middleweight at a national level and within a few years was challenging for amateur titles across the world. It was not long before the Armenian Olympic Committee saw his potential and he was called up to the boxing squad at the 2008 Summer Olympics which were held in Beijing, China.
World Cup Success
Despite losing in his second round fight in Beijing, later the same year he was representing his country once again at the Boxing World Cup in Moscow. Hakobyan was able to put the disappointment of the Olympics behind him and won the World Cup in the middleweight class.
World Amateur Boxing Championships
The following year he brought home a silver medal from the World Amateur Boxing Championships held in Milan. He was unfortunate in the final, after winning five straight fights he was stopped in the final by Abbos Atoev from Uzbekistan. However, Hakobyan was hailed as a hero upon his return to Armenia as his silver medal was the first such medal for an independent Armenia.
Armenian Champion
The following year Hakobyan became the Armenian amateur middle weight champion and was courted by promoters representing the Armenia professional boxing circuit. However, he turned away from the professional side of the sport in favour of staying an amateur and reached the quarter finals of the 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships. However, this match was shrouded in controversy due to questionable scoring by the judges. Despite this defeat Hakobyan went on to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, making him a two time Olympian.
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