I Expected a Good Championship, But I Didn’t Anticipate It Would Be This Good: Conflictin

The leaders of the European Weightlifting Federation were impressed by the high level of organization of the European Championship held in Yerevan from April 15 to 23. According to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia, the president of the European Weightlifting Federation, Antonio Conflictin, while summarizing the European Championship, emphasized that besides the flawless organizational work, he was also very impressed by the audience gathered at the Karen Demirchyan Sports Complex.

“The competition days were excellent, but the last day was truly fantastic. The audience was very impressive, the stands were packed, and they showed wonderful support. I had a hard time finding even one free spot in the stands. This was an important message for weightlifting. Organizationally, everything was also excellent. I am proud that together with Armenia, the European Federation has shown that it can organize a tournament better than the World Championship. Some say this was of Olympic Games level because it was much better,” noted the president of the European Federation.

Conflictin also addressed the question of whether Armenia would have the opportunity to host such a large-scale tournament again. “Yes, it is possible. We are working on holding another major event in Armenia.” The president of the European Federation confessed that his expectations had been significantly exceeded. “To be honest, I expected a good championship, but I didn’t anticipate it would be this good. When I arrived in Armenia before the championship and was shown the competition hall, the conditions, I wasn’t too impressed and had certain doubts. But the enormous work that Armenia accomplished in this period is truly commendable. Everything was excellent,” he said.

The vice president of the European Weightlifting Federation, David Khipsidze, considers the European Championship held in Yerevan among the best. “In my opinion, this was the most magnificent and unique championship in the history of the European Weightlifting Championships. I can definitely say that we achieved something miraculous here. Besides the miracle that was bestowed upon us by the athletes, the work done by the organizers resembled a miracle as well. We enjoyed every moment. It was a great honor for me to be a part of the organizational work. I thank Armenia for this great event and for making us a part of it. I believe that at this point, Armenia and Yerevan are the best candidates to host the World Championship in 2024. I will do everything within my power to make that happen,” emphasized the Georgian expert.

The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports reminds that Armenia secured first place in the team standings of the European Weightlifting Championship. Armenian weightlifters won a total of 13 medals, including 4 gold, 4 silver, and 5 bronze. On the last day of competition, April 23, there were 4,418 spectators present at the Karen Demirchyan Sports Complex, which is a record in the history of the European Weightlifting Championships.

At the closing of the European Weightlifting Championship, the president of the European Weightlifting Federation, Antonio Conflictin, awarded certificates to the head of the Prime Minister's Staff, Arayik Harutyunyan, the Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, Karen Giloian, and the Secretary General of the Armenian Weightlifting Federation, Pashik Alaverdyan, for the best organization of the tournament.