Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan participated in the solemn ceremony to award and honor the winners of the “Selection of the Best of the Year in Sports 2025″ competition, organized within the framework of the event dedicated to the International Day of Sports.
The event was also attended by President of the Republic Vahagn Khachaturyan, Speaker of the National Assembly Alen Simonyan, Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan, heads of various sports federations, athletes, and coaches.
Before the award ceremony, Prime Minister Pashinyan delivered a speech, congratulated everyone on the International Day of Sports, and thanked the athletes who spared no effort to represent the Republic of Armenia in various competitions properly.
The budget figures are self-explanatory. We are analyzing our support for sports while trying to increase it. Our conclusion has been strengthened: the institutionalization of sport is an important, deep step we need to take to consolidate the current successes and formulate new ambitions for our spor: today, we are taking very serious steps towards the institutionalization of sport,” the Prime Minister noted.
Nikol Pashinyan added that everything started with simple programs and that serious, deep projects are now being implemented. “For example, in Yerevan, the Hrant Shahinyan Sports School is currently under construction, and it is in the final stage. Construction of the Albert Azaryan Sports School is proceeding at a very fast pace. Recently, we made the necessary decisions regarding the construction of the Arthur Abraham Sports School, and the Arthur Aleksanyan Sports Complex is underway in Gyumri.
We are now launching a joint project with Nazik Avdalyan again in Shirak region, in Lori region we are launching the construction of a sports school named after Vic Darchinyan, a sports school named after Yuri Sargsyan, a sports school named after Stepan Sargsyan, in Aragatsotn region we are launching the construction of a sports school named after Roman and Malkhas Amoyan, the sports school named after Simon Martirosyan is already operating successfully. We consider these projects very important, as we are transforming the values formed in the field of sports into more institutional and more material values,” the head of state continued.
The Prime Minister also spoke about the project being implemented in Yerevan jointly with Juventus FC and noted that there is a plan to expand it to the regions. Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that stadiums are planned for Ijevan, Yerevan, Vanadzor, and the Academic City.
“It is very important to note that the 300 school program is of significant importance in terms of sports, because we have noted that by saying school, we must understand a structure, an area where there is a mandatory physical education gym and an outdoor sports field,” said Prime Minister Pashinyan and emphasized that work has been undertaken to construct physical education halls in 25 schools in the Republic, and in the case of 300 newly built schools, a physical education hall that meets modern standards and open sports fields are a mandatory condition.
Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that the pre-election program already includes the construction of sports and art schools as needed. The construction of 100 combined sports fields across different communities, each with a capacity for futsal, football, and basketball, is also being initiated. “But I also promised, and we have already made that decision, that in the near future we will build a sports school named after the Armenian futsal team to record that historic achievement of our futsal team and also to use this moment to make the sport more institutionally popular in the Republic of Armenia.”
In his speech, the Prime Minister referred to the European Championships held in Armenia in recent years: “We have already held several very successful European Championships: boxing, weightlifting, shooting, and the Sambo World Championships. There will be news in the near future about our place in the calendar of international cycling competitions, and one of the prestigious international tournaments will hold a round in the Republic of Armenia. In the near future, there are the Arachnophobia Games, the European Gymnastics Championships, and the World Weightlifting Championships planned to be held in the Republic of Armenia.”
The Head of State emphasized that, however, the most important observation today is that children, who are increasingly involved in sports, are most inspired by the athletes present in this hall. “I want to thank everyone for the inspiration they bring to our youth and to all of us in general. Today’s event is a great honor for us. We want to pay tribute to, to pay tribute to all our athletes who in 2025 or in the previous sports year, which we are summarizing today:
International Sports Day, with its successes, has ultimately increased and strengthened the sports reputation of the Republic of Armenia and, of course, has given indescribable moments of joy, happiness, and pride to all citizens of the Republic of Armenia and all Armenians who have followed the performances of our athletes in different corners of the world and have been proud of those performances.
Once again, I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to all athletes, all coaches, all federations, all those people who have made a concrete contribution, who spare no effort and energy, who invest their physical and emotional strength for the sake of the Republic of Armenia, because the greatest symbol of sports life is, after all, what we started our event with today: when the national anthem of the Republic of Armenia sounds and the flag of the Republic of Armenia is raised. This is the important goal that we, in fact, pursue in all spheres. Still, especially sport makes this process much more visible, much more appreciable, much more emotional, and these emotions are priceless,” the Prime Minister said.
Nikol Pashinyan assured that the Government of the Republic of Armenia will not only not slow down this pace, but, on the contrary, will make it more targeted and effective.
On the occasion of the quadrupling of funding for sports, the Head of State expressed gratitude to all people working in the Republic of Armenia, creating results, paying taxes prescribed by law, all citizens, all those who write out cash registers and all those who demand cash registers, because this quadrupled funding is formed as a result of the efforts of these people.
The winners in 11 nominations of the competition were awarded 6,250,000 drams and souvenirs. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan presented the awards to the winners.
Accordingly, the winners in the “Best Athletes” category are: Varazdat Lalayan (weightlifting), Artur Davtyan (gymnastics), Malkhas Amoyan (Greco-Roman wrestling), in the “Best Female Athlete” category: Alexandra Grigoryan (weightlifting), “Best Athlete with a Disability”: Sargis Sargsyan (chess), “Best Team”: the Armenian National Futsal Team, “Best Young Athlete”: Gaspar Terteryan (Greco-Roman wrestling), “Return to Great Sport and/or Discovery”: Suren Harutyunyan (karate), “The Most Popular Athlete of the Republic of Armenia”: Hamlet Manukyan (gymnastics), “Best Coach”: Pashik Alaverdyan (weightlifting), “Audience Award” for the “Best of the Year in Sports” competition According to the results of the online voting in the “Sympathy” nomination, Suren Harutyunyan, who won the first bronze medal of independent Armenia at the World Karate Championship, was recognized as the winner.
On the occasion of International Sports Day, the goal of the “Selection of the Best of the Year in Sports” competition is to encourage and honor Armenian athletes and coaches who have achieved achievements or significant successes in the current year, as well as who have contributed to the recognition and prestige of the Republic of Armenia, the popularization of Armenian state symbols, and national values through their competitions.
