Azerbaijanis Report Receiving Orders to Return, Says Giloyan

The incident that occurred during the opening of the European Weightlifting Championship served as a pretext for the Azerbaijani team to return home, stated Karen Giloyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia, in an interview with Armenpress.

“The decision regarding the return of the delegation was made in Azerbaijan. I personally spoke with the representatives of the delegation, and they did not express any dissatisfaction. The head of the delegation and the coaches unanimously said that they felt honored and were feeling good; they had no concerns regarding safety. They simply received orders and cannot ignore them; they must return. This is merely a pretext. The Republic of Armenia will guarantee and ensure the safety of everyone,” emphasized the Deputy Minister.

According to Giloyan, the incident was used to cast a shadow over the course of the championship. “Yes, the incident is not athletic and is a sad fact. But they understand that the act was committed by an individual and does not represent state behavior. Currently, we are trying to mitigate the situation. If the likelihood of hosting next year’s world championship in Armenia was high the day before, today it has significantly decreased,” he noted.