FIDE Investigates: Why Maria Gevorgyan Was Denied Participation in International Tournament in Turkey

The Chairman of the Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sports of the National Assembly of Armenia, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, addressed the scandal involving Armenian chess player Maria Gevorgyan on his Facebook page.

“I am pleased that FIDE's statement also addresses the mission and principles of sports. FIDE was founded on the principle of ‘We are one nation’; we are one family. Discrimination based on racial, religious, ethnic, or national grounds is not only against FIDE's policy but also against the fundamental principles of sports. We will not tolerate this. If the investigation reveals that the athlete’s rights were violated, or that she was denied the opportunity to participate in the tournament due to her national identity, the strictest sanctions will be applied in accordance with FIDE's legislation,” the MP wrote.

It is noteworthy that Maria Gevorgyan was supposed to participate in the international tournament in Turkey; however, the Turkish side canceled her invitation at the request of Azerbaijani female chess players.