A Sambo Wrestler Statue to be Installed in Yerevan

On April 5, under the initiative of the President of the Armenian Sambo Federation, Mikael Hayrapetyan, the foundation stone for a statue of a Sambo wrestler was laid in Nansen Park in the Nor Nork administrative district of Yerevan. Attendees included members of the International Sambo Federation, representatives from the Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, Nor Nork district head Tigran Ter-Margaryan, director of Yerevan’s School No. 106 Marine Vardanyan, friends of the Sambo family, and residents of the Nor Nork community.

“In just a few months, a statue of a Sambo wrestler will be installed here at Nansen Park in the Nor Nork administrative district. The idea came from the International Sambo Federation. As you know, there is a sports park next to the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, where there is also a statue of a Sambo wrestler. Considering and witnessing our love for Sambo and our traditions, they suggested having a second statue in Yerevan. The statue will depict the memorable throwing moment of Levon Hayrapetyan. This moment was the symbol of the Sambo World Championship held in Yerevan. This statue will symbolize not only our sport but also an inseparable part of our motto that sport is strength, and strength is peace. I hope that years later this park will indeed become a sports park, where there will be statues of wrestlers, weightlifters, boxers, and representatives of all other sports,” noted Mikael Hayrapetyan, President of the Armenian Sambo Federation.