The Pan-Armenian Games

The Pan-Armenian Games

Held annually in Yerevan, Armenia the Pan-Armenian Games consists of individual and team sports in various competitions and events for competitors from across the country. The games are open to all Armenian citizens and those who hold an Armenian passport, irrespective of current residence, as well as citizens of other countries who can claim Armenian descent. Interestingly, the married partners of those with Armenian descent are also eligible to compete in the games.

Surprising Origins
It is surprising to learn of the origins of the Pan-Armenian Games because it was a Soviet diplomat who suggested the first games. Ashot Melik-Shahnazaryan was attending a business trip to the Republic of Congo in 1965 when the country was in the midst of preparing for the Pan-African Games and he made a note of the idea to suggest to Moscow upon his return. However, because Armenia was a Soviet republic and any notion of national games was seen as nationalistic by the soviet rulers Armenia (and Melik-Shahnazaryan) had to wait until independence was granted in 1991 to be able to see its first national games.

Unity through Sport
However, despite independence being granted in 1991 it was not until 1995 that Melik-Shahnazaryan was able to publically announce his intentions to create a Pan –Armenia Games. The idea quickly gained support from Armenia and those passport holding Armenia communities around the world as they would be allowed to compete as well. The games soon became synonymous with the wide spread use of the motto “Unity through Sport".

World Committee
The World Committee of Pan-Armenian Games (WCPAG) was created on April 30th, 1997 in Yerevan. Armenian communities from around the world were represented at this historic event including Iran, Argentina, Turkey, Australia, Germany, Canada, Cyprus and France. In honour of his work establishing the games Ashot Melik-Shahnazaryan was elected the first president of WCPAG and became synonymous with the games for many years.

First Games
The first games took place between August 28th 1999 and September 5th 1999. Competitors from 23 countries arrived to take part in the games, representing 62 cities from across the globe. The games were scheduled to take place every 2 years and in 2001 the second Pan-Armenian Games took place. However, after the third games in 2003 it was decided to transform the games into a four year cycle in a similar fashion to the Olympic Games. Subsequently, the next games took place in 2007 but the decision was reversed and the games returned to a two year cycle.

Events
Unusually, the athletes represent the cities in which they come from rather than the countries as in most other pan-games. The sports contested during the games are football, basketball, volleyball, swimming, badminton, tennis, table tennis, chess and athletics.

International Olympic Committee (IOC)
The Pan- Armenia Games collaborates in full with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and so success in the Pan- Armenia Games can lead to possible inclusion in the Armenia Olympic teams.