PAN ARMENIAN
History
It is well known that in ancient Armenia Navasardian Games were organized and that the first Armenian who participated in The Games in Olympus (Greece) was king Trdat I, who competed in quadric - races on horse-pulled carts. The first Armenians who became Olympionics, that is won in the Games in Olympus were the future Armenian kings wrestler Trdat (281BC) and fest fighter Varazdat (385BC).The first Armenians who participated in the modern Olympic Games were athletes Vahram Papazyan and Mkrtich Mkeryan, who were the only representatives of the Turkish team for the 5th Olympic Games in 1912 in Stockholm. It is interesting that the reason they participated was the intention to remind the world about the existence of Armenian nation suffering under yogh of enemies.Three years later the rulers of Ottman Turkey organized Genocide of Armenians on the territories of Western Armenia and Southern Caucasus that took lives of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915-1923. Those who managed to survive the Genocide spread all over the world. That is how huge Armenian Diaspora living in 100 countries of the world and now counting for the 2/3 of the whole Armenian population appeared.
The idea of organizing Sport Games with participation of Armenians from different communities of the world was partially realized by Armenian sport organizations of Diaspora - Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), Armenian General Union of Sport and Scouts (HOMENETMEN) and Armenian Sport Association (HOMENMEN). Nevertheless, even intercontinental games that they organize included only the Diaspora, for only the members of the mentioned organizations could participate. Besides no sportsmen from Armenia, Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, or large Armenian communities from Russia and other Republics of former USSR participated.
This is how Pan-Armenian Games started
A young soviet diplomat Ashot Melik-Shahnazarian first had the idea of organizing truly universal games for all the Armenians in the world when he had a business trip to Brazzaville, the capital of Peoples Republic of Congo in 1965, that was getting ready to participate in the first Pan-African Games. But the idea of having Pan-Armenian Games in soviet times was considered by Moscow as "impossible and nationalistic" and its author was forced to wait till 1991 when as a result of dissolution of former USSR, Armenia became a state again.As a guest for World Games of AGBU, that took place in Paris in 1995 Ashot Melik-Shahnazaryan first publicly announced about his intention to create Pan-Armenian Games and started to realize his idea with particular stubbornness of Karabakh people.
Soon the former soviet diplomat, that didn't have any contacts with the Diaspora in Soviet times, acquired a lot of believers. The idea of organizing sporting events for all Armenians and the motto of the future World Committee "Unity through Sport" was highly supported by the people of different ages and occupations - Hrant Bardakjian from Toronto, Albert Boyadjian from Los Angeles, Hratch Manoukian (all from AGBU), Hrach Siserian from Paris and Hrach Der Sarkissian from Montreal (both from HOMENETMEN), Sarkis Sarkissian from Beirut and Jacques Hairabedian from Paris (both from HOMENMEN) and many others.
Vart Alexanian from Cairo became the main sponsor. Another important sponsors are Hagop Kimizyan from Bucharest and Jack Maxian from Hong-Kong. Members of the Executive Committee Vart Alexanyan and Akob Kirmiziyan remained loyal contributors for the Second and the Third Games. During the founding meeting On April 30th, 1997 in Yerevan with the help of traditionalArmenian unions of the Diaspora and Armenian Cultural-sport organization "Ararat" (Iran) World Committee of Pan-Armenian Games (WCPAG) was created. It became the first all-Armenian structure that was created democratically and with community principles with the initiative from below. Representatives of state and public organizations of Armenia, NKR and also Armenian communities from Iran, Argentina, Turkey, Australia, Germany, China, Cyprus, France and other countries became its members.
Ashot Melik-Shahnazaryan was elected the first president of WCPAG. He also became the author of the emblem, cup, medals and almost all the symbols of the organization and also the author of the official anthem and the farewell song of the Games.The design of the symbols was made by Aida Khachatryan. She, together with Lusine Khachatryan, the executive director of Pan-Armenian Games, created pictograms for all kinds of sport of the Games.
WCPAG today is a non-governmental, international organization with reputation that collaborates with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), UNESCO, Council of Europe, European World Movement "Fair Play", other international sport units and contributes in developing sport in Armenia.
World Committee is officially registered in the Ministry of Justice of RA, has a juridical status and charter, governing organs and holds meetings in Armenia and abroad consecutively. In 2002 the General Assembly of WCPAG elected as President Vartan Oskanian - the Minister of Foreign Affairs of RA.
Soon the former soviet diplomat, that didn't have any contacts with the Diaspora in Soviet times, acquired a lot of believers. The idea of organizing sporting events for all Armenians and the motto of the future World Committee "Unity through Sport" was highly supported by the people of different ages and occupations - Hrant Bardakjian from Toronto, Albert Boyadjian from Los Angeles, Hratch Manoukian (all from AGBU), Hrach Siserian from Paris and Hrach Der Sarkissian from Montreal (both from HOMENETMEN), Sarkis Sarkissian from Beirut and Jacques Hairabedian from Paris (both from HOMENMEN) and many others.
Vart Alexanian from Cairo became the main sponsor. Another important sponsors are Hagop Kimizyan from Bucharest and Jack Maxian from Hong-Kong. Members of the Executive Committee Vart Alexanyan and Akob Kirmiziyan remained loyal contributors for the Second and the Third Games. During the founding meeting On April 30th, 1997 in Yerevan with the help of traditionalArmenian unions of the Diaspora and Armenian Cultural-sport organization "Ararat" (Iran) World Committee of Pan-Armenian Games (WCPAG) was created. It became the first all-Armenian structure that was created democratically and with community principles with the initiative from below. Representatives of state and public organizations of Armenia, NKR and also Armenian communities from Iran, Argentina, Turkey, Australia, Germany, China, Cyprus, France and other countries became its members.
Ashot Melik-Shahnazaryan was elected the first president of WCPAG. He also became the author of the emblem, cup, medals and almost all the symbols of the organization and also the author of the official anthem and the farewell song of the Games.The design of the symbols was made by Aida Khachatryan. She, together with Lusine Khachatryan, the executive director of Pan-Armenian Games, created pictograms for all kinds of sport of the Games.
WCPAG today is a non-governmental, international organization with reputation that collaborates with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), UNESCO, Council of Europe, European World Movement "Fair Play", other international sport units and contributes in developing sport in Armenia.
World Committee is officially registered in the Ministry of Justice of RA, has a juridical status and charter, governing organs and holds meetings in Armenia and abroad consecutively. In 2002 the General Assembly of WCPAG elected as President Vartan Oskanian - the Minister of Foreign Affairs of RA.
