Change in Draft Deferment Regulations: Expansion of Sports Disciplines Listed

The Armenian government made amendments to the draft deferment regulations for mandatory military service during its session on July 21, expanding the list of sports disciplines for which highly accomplished athletes are granted deferments.

According to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, under the new changes, athletes from professional boxing (according to the standards of the World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxing Federation (IBF), World Boxing Organization (WBO), or World Boxing Association (WBA)) and mixed martial arts (according to the UFC) who hold the title of world champion will also be eligible for deferment.

The proposal was developed by the ministry, taking into consideration the significant number of Armenian athletes competing in professional boxing and mixed martial arts worldwide. Thus, athletes who have become world champions in these sports and have received Armenian citizenship by presidential decree to participate in sporting events under the Armenian flag will benefit from the draft deferment.

According to the Armenian government's decision No. 450-N from April 12, 2018, citizens who have significant achievements in sports can receive a deferment from mandatory military service. Until now, this deferment was granted predominantly to athletes participating in Olympic sports, as well as those involved in specific non-Olympic sports such as fencing (with some exceptions), sambo, chess, model boat racing, and arm wrestling. A necessity has now emerged to include professional boxing and mixed martial arts among the non-Olympic sports.

World champion titles in professional boxing and mixed martial arts are determined through championship fights, rather than world championships.

Victors of championship bouts in boxing (under the guidelines of the WBC, IBF, WBO, or WBA) and mixed martial arts (under the UFC standards) are deemed equivalent to holders of the world champion title.