Zartonk Sports (2024)

30/06/2024

🇦🇲🏀 Avand Dorian Becomes First Armenian School Graduate To Join An NCAA Division I Basketball Team (USC Trojans)
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Avand Dorian, a 2023 graduate from AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School, has made history by securing a spot on the USC Trojans men’s basketball team. This achievement marks a significant milestone as Avand becomes the first Armenian school graduate (lifer) to join a NCAA Division I basketball program, reports Zartonk Media.

An AGBU MDS Titans Varsity alumnus & current Armenia National Team Guard, Avand will officially continue his basketball career as a walk-on for the USC Trojans in the 2024/25 season. A product of AGBU Titans Varsity Boys Basketball, Avand’s journey to NCAA Division I highlights his exceptional talent & dedication.

“I am very excited for the opportunity to be a part of the USC men’s basketball team & am blessed to have the honor of representing AGBU & the rest of the Armenian community. I will do my best to embody what it means to be an Armenian by being disciplined & always leading by example,” said Dorian.

The USC Trojans men’s basketball team is renowned for its competitive edge in the NCAA Division I. Avand’s inclusion in this esteemed program not only showcases his athletic prowess but also represents a proud moment for the Armenian community.

As a lifer & homegrown talent at AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School, Avand is the first Armenian school product to play at a Division I university. After a decorated high school career, where he collected three League MVPs, three All-CIF 1st teams, one California State 1st team, along with two league championships, two semifinal appearances, and two state appearances, Dorian was called up to play for the FIBA Armenia National Basketball Team for the second consecutive year.

“I see this not as a personal achievement, but as a large step for the Armenian Community as a whole. I hope to inspire the future generations of our community to take my achievements & surpass them,” Dorian told Zartonk Media.

Catch Avand competing internationally for Armenia Basketball in Los Angeles against Guatemala & Ireland on June 21 & June 23.

Read the full article on ZartonkMedia.com

30/06/2024

Avand Dorian Becomes First Armenian School Graduate To Join An NCAA Division I Basketball Team (USC Trojans)
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Avand Dorian, a 2023 graduate from AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School, has made history by securing a spot on the USC Trojans men’s basketball team. This achievement marks a significant milestone as Avand becomes the first Armenian school graduate (lifer) to join a NCAA Division I basketball program, reports Zartonk Media.

An AGBU MDS Titans Varsity alumnus & current Armenia National Team Guard, Avand will officially continue his basketball career as a walk-on for the USC Trojans in the 2024/25 season. A product of AGBU Titans Varsity Boys Basketball, Avand’s journey to NCAA Division I highlights his exceptional talent & dedication.

“I am very excited for the opportunity to be a part of the USC men’s basketball team & am blessed to have the honor of representing AGBU & the rest of the Armenian community. I will do my best to embody what it means to be an Armenian by being disciplined & always leading by example,” said Dorian.

The USC Trojans men’s basketball team is renowned for its competitive edge in the NCAA Division I. Avand’s inclusion in this esteemed program not only showcases his athletic prowess but also represents a proud moment for the Armenian community.

As a lifer & homegrown talent at AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School in Canoga Park, CA, Avand is the first Armenian school product to play at a Division I university. After a decorated high school career, where he collected three League MVPs, three All-CIF 1st teams, one California State 1st team, along with two league championships, two semifinal appearances, and two state appearances, Dorian was called up to play for the FIBA Armenia National Basketball Team for the second consecutive year.

“I see this not as a personal achievement, but as a large step for the Armenian Community as a whole. I hope to inspire the future generations of our community to take my achievements & surpass them,” Dorian told Zartonk Media.

Catch Avand competing internationally for Armenia Basketball in Los Angeles against Guatemala & Ireland on June 21 & June 23.

Read the full article on ZartonkMedia.com

11/09/2023

Armenia Falls To Croatia 1-0 At Home, Sits 3rd In Group D UEFA Euro Qualifiers
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The Armenian Men’s National Team are now on the outside looking in when it comes to qualifying for Euro 2024 after losing 1-0 to Croatia in Yerevan.

The general feeling heading in to this match was positive as Armenia knew they’d be in a position to try for an upset as Croatia are currently the 6th best team in the world according to FIFA.

The legendary Gevorg Ghazaryan was also recognized in front of the sold out Republican Stadium as he announced his retirement from professional football in late August. Gevorg was gifted an honorary kit by Armen Melikbekyan, President of the Football Federation of Armenia. Following the presentation, it was time for the anthems, where Mer Hayrenik was sung loud and proud, a stark contrast to the match in Turkey.

Unfortunately, the match didn’t go how the havakakan would’ve wanted as Croatia were on the front foot for the entire time. They broke Armenia’s gate in the 13th minute by way of TSG Hoffenheim striker Andrej Kramaric’s smart thinking in Armenia’s six yard box. Originally called offside, video assistant referee Jérôme Brisard overruled the call as Armenian CB Styopya Mkrtchyan played a back pass to the Croatian.

In the 35th minute, the match was delayed for about 70 seconds when a drone carrying the flag of Artsakh flew over the field — to cheers and applause from many home fans.

The second half was more of the same, wave after wave of Croatia attacks. The score of 1-0 would have been much worse if it weren’t for Armenia’s goalkeeper, Ognjen Čančarević, an ethnic Serbian. Most notably, the Alashkert keeper stopped a Marcelo Brozovic effort in the 55th minute and made a wonder save on a 86th minute Petar Musa chance.

With the loss, Armenia currently sit 3rd in Group D. They have three matches remaining. At home vs Wales and on the road vs Latvia and Croatia. Their fate is officially out of their hands as they will need help from other teams if they hope to qualify for Euro 2024 in Germany, for what would be their maiden continental tournament.

07/09/2023

Armenia Men’s National Team Arrives in Eskisehir Ahead Of Crucial Euro Qualifier Against Turkey On Friday
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The Armenia Men’s National Team has arrived in Eskisehir, Turkey ahead of their crucial 2024 European Championship Qualifier match.

The “Havakakan” arrived at their hotel in the Buyukdere region with enhanced security measures after passing passport control at the airport.

Armenia’s 4th qualifying match is set to take place at the New Eskişehir Atatürk Stadium which holds 32,500 individuals, a number which will undoubtedly be in attendance for tomorrow’s match. Once again, the spectators will be made up solely of individuals of the host nation following UEFA’s ban at its own initiative of Turks visiting Armenia and vice-versa. To further avoid “unnecessary tension,” the Turkish Football Association has also advised match security to confiscate any and all flags or banners of Azerbaijan.

Despite the enhanced security measures, the Armenians will still be received by an extremely hostile crowd. When asked on how they’ll deal with the pressure of playing in Turkey, Armenian talisman Eduard Spertsyan replied, “We know the importance of this match. We have the right players to win and will give it our all.”

All in all, while just being a football match, tomorrow’s meeting offers so much more for an Armenian side that will represent those in Artsakh who are currently amidst a 260+ day blockade by Azerbaijan with the constant help of Turkey. In addition, Turkey is guilty of the 1915 Armenian Genocide that killed 1.5 million Armenians. To this day, Armenians have not received recognition, reparations, restitution, nor right to return to their ancestral homeland, most of which is occupied by Turkey.

21/06/2023

Elina Avanesyan Continues Meteoric Rise With Consecutive Victories Over Daria Kasatkina and Anna Blinkova, As She Jumps Into The Top 60
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Rising star Elina Avanesyan has continued to rise in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings after consecutive victories over the #11 player in the world Daria Kasatkina and the #39 player in the world Anna Blinkova at the Grass Court Championships in Berlin.

Following a fairytale run to the R16 at the French Open in May, Elina found herself rising more than forty spots in the rankings to #80 in the world. She has built on her phenomenal run of form as she has now reached the quarter-finals of a 500-level or gold level tournament for the first time in her career. As it stands, Elina is now sitting at #60 in the world, her best career ranking and is the sixth highest ranking amongst players under the age of 21.

Similar to the French Open, Avanesyan lost her final qualifying round matchup but was once again granted a lucky looser status which saw her enter the main draw in the round of 32. In this round, Elina faced off against Russian Daria Kasatkina. Having won the first set in convincing fashion, Elina dropped the second set as quickly as she won the first. In a marathon third set, Avanesyan was able to save two match points, overcome a 2-5 deficit and win 7(9) - 6(7) in the final round tiebreak which set up her R16 matchup against another Russian in Anna Blinkova.

In the R16, Avanesyan had a poor start as she dropped the first set 1-6. However, Elina must’ve flipped a switch after the first set as she sailed passed the #39 ranked player in the world 6-3 and 6-2 hence, advancing to her second career WTA quarterfinal, first on grass and first at WTA 500 level.

Elina also caught another break as Croatian Donna Vekić defeated Wimbledon Champion and #3 player in the world Elena Rybakina to set up a quarter-final matchup between two underdogs on Friday.

18/06/2023

Armen Petrosyan Defeats Christian Leroy Duncan By Unanimous Decision At UFC Fight Night
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Armen “Superman” Petrosyan defeated England’s Christian Leroy Duncan in a dominant display by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas.

In a heavily Armenian represented card, Petrosyan started off the festivities as he handed Duncan his first professional loss, knocking him from the ranks of the unbeaten.

It was evident from the fighting styles that Petrosyan was a more serious fighter compared to the flashy Duncan who had come to entertain, as he continued to fire spinning kicks and attack at all different angles.

In the first round, Petrosyan landed more than half of his signifiant strikes while his opponent came close to matching those numbers. The same could be said for rounds 2 and 3 where although close, Petrosyan was consistently more consistent than his British compatriot.

The difference in the fight rested on Petrosyan effectiveness. Late in the second round, Duncan sliced open Petrosyan’s face with a nicely executed elbow. However, Petrosyan was quick to engage in the clinch and hence neutralize the damaging effects that the elbow may have had on the rest of the fight.

After continuously neutralizing his opponents attacks, Petrosyan celebrated once the match ended, before he even knew that he’d won. Eventually, Superman was awarded with a victory by way of unanimous and a score of 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28.

“Anybody in the top 15, I know I can take all of them” says Petrosyan when asked about who he wants to take on next in the Middleweight division.

Petrosyan now boasts an 8-2 record where a victory against a ranked opponent should give him the needed exposure to earn a better reputation in the competitive Middleweight division.

18/06/2023

Armenia Falls To France 98-83 IN Game 2 Of The Armenian Basketball Classic In A Promising Performance

Armenia falls to France 98-83 in Game 2 of the Armenian Basketball Classic. After yesterday’s result, the Armenians made the necessary adjustments, but it was not enough against a powerful FIBA 5th-ranked France.

After a strong offensive start in the first quarter, Armenia was down 32-24 against France before falling 55-40 at halftime. Armenia outscored France in the third quarter, cutting the lead down to 14 with the French up 73-59. The game concluded 98-83 in France’s favor, but the Armenian side showed great resilience and a showing to be proud of in front of the diaspora faithful.

Despite the result, the performances and experience are encouraging for Armenia and the young Armenian basketball team. Exciting things are to come for the Armenian national basketball program as Coach Rex Kalamian and the players look to build upon these friendless with additional games this fall.

87th-ranked Armenia is the reigning FIBA European Champion of Small nations while France is ranked 5th in the FIBA rankings and is the current vice champion of Europe.

Despite the result, the performances and experience are encouraging for Armenia and the young Armenian basketball team. Exciting things are to come for the Armenian national basketball program as Coach Rex Kalamian and the players look to build upon these friendless with additional games this fall.

17/06/2023

Armenia Falls To France In Game 1 Of The Armenian Basketball Classic, Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
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Armenia fell to France last night at a sold out CSUN Premier America Credit Union Arena last night—the first time such a feat has been accomplished. The game marked the Armenia Basketball Team’s debut in the United States.

The game opened with the French dominating the opening quarters as they were up by 24 points at the half. Armenia’s resilience ensued in the third quarter where both team scored 25 points, until the French extended their lead in the fourth quarter and won 107-74 against an Armenia side that only had four days to prepare against one of the world’s strongest teams.

87th-ranked Armenia is the reigning FIBA European Champion of Small nations while France is ranked 5th in the FIBA rankings and is the current vice champion of Europe.

The second match is slated for tonight, June 17th at 5:00pm PST at the same location. Armenia will be sure to bounce back after a show of resilience and heart despite the defeat.

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16/06/2023

ONLY SATURDAY TICKETS AVAILABLE 🚨 FRIDAY SOLD OUT 🔥
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🎫 Buy your Saturday tickets before they are sold out. Link can be found in the bio.

🗓 Game 1: Friday, June 16 at 7:00 PM PST
🗓 Game 2: Saturday, June 17 at 5:00 PM PST

Both games will be at CSUN’s Premier America Credit Union Arena in Los Angeles, California.

Follow & for the latest updates.

29/05/2023

20 Year Old Elina Avanesyan Shocks The World In First Round Victory At Roland Garros
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Armenian-Russian Elina Avanesyan () has won the first match in her grand-slam career after shocking the world number twelve ranked player Belinda Bencic in three sets by a score of 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.

Avanesyan, the world #134 ranked player qualified for the main draw of the French Open as a lucky looser after loosing to American Kayla Day. As a result of this, her first match had her being faced off against Belinda Bencic, gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympic Games who is currently ranked #12 in the world with a career high rank of #4.

Coming fresh off a victory in Germany at the Wiesbaden Tennis Open, Avanesyan quickly won the first set against Bencic but dropped the second one convincingly. In the third and final set, Avanesyan came back from 2-4 down to win 4 games in a row as such, being able to pull off the upset in a match that lasted 2-hour and 19-minute.

Overcome with emotion, Elina was seen with tears following her victory in front of the sold out crowd at Court Suzanne Lenglen. This victory alone accelerates Elina’s ranking to 104th in the world, a new career high for the Armenian. This ranking also makes her the tenth highest ranked women’s player under the age of 21.

Born in Pyatigorsk, Russia, Avanesyan is the only Armenian women currently on tour with the WTA. Avanesyan will face French favourite Léolia Jeanjean in the second round on Wednesday.

13/05/2023

FC Urartu Win Armenian Cup In Front of 5,000 Supporters, Heralding A New Trend For Armenian Football
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FC Urartu defeated FC Shirak 2-1 to win the 2023 Armenian Cup. This victory marked their fourth time winning the title while the previous three times were won by Banants FC, the name by which FC Urartu was known as before 2019.

FC Urartu, Armenian Premier League leaders, took the lead in the first minute of the match by way of a goal from Russian striker David Khurtsidze. FC Shirak didn’t let this hinder them as they quickly equalized five minutes later after Moussa Bakayoko slid the ball past Urartu goalie Aleksandr Melikhov.

The second-half was fairly uneventful, however a red card for FC Shirak in the 74th minute opened the game up for Urartu. The league leaders would eventually find a winner through the foot of Armenian winger Karen Melkonyan. His long-range effort in the 85th minute was too much for 18 year old Shirak goalie Egor Achinov to handle. The goal was Melkonyan’s 5th and arguably most important goal for Urartu this season as he aims to make the squad for Armenia’s upcoming Euro qualifiers this June.

Most importantly, the game was played in front of 5,000 supporters at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, a new attendance record during the post Soviet Era. This match heralded a new trend in Armenian football where the interest in the sport is picking up pace. Urartu is a club that aims to be a model for all other clubs in Armenia. Their dedication to its fans and the importance that they place on youth development is a fresh breath of air for the sport in our homeland. This plan has already begun to pay its dividends as youngster Garnik Minasyan was named to the Guardian’s Next Generation 2022: 60 of the best young talents in world football.

FC Urartu have five matches left to defend the top position in the Armenian Premier League. Their most important game will take place on May 30, where they will face second placed side FC Pyunik.

10/04/2023

Andre Spight Mkrtchyan To Play For French Club ALM Évreux Basket
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Armenia Men’s National Team Basketball star Andre Spight Mkrtchyan has signed a contract with French team ALM Évreux Basket in the the LNB Pro B, France’s second division.

After winning the gold medal for Armenia in 2022 at the FIBA European Championship For Small Countries, Andre took a break from professional basketball to get his Realtor license. In the mean time, he played in the American-Armenian Basketball Association’s Pro-AM league for Hrazdan BC.

After continuous talks with the French club, an agreement was made for Mkrtchyan to represent them for the remainder of the current season that finishes in May.

This is Andre’s second stint in France where in 2019-2020 he averaged 17.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists for Rouen Metropole.

ALM Évreux Basket’s first game is on Tuesday against Aix Maurienne, pending a physical evaluation Andre should be able to play.

10/03/2023

Connor Essegian Recognized As One Of The Best Freshman In The NCAA
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American-Armenian Connor Essegian has been named to the Big 10 All-Freshman Team which recognizes the performances that he had in his first year playing for the University of Wisconsin Badgers.

Essegian joined the Badgers as the teams only scholarship player. It didn’t take long for the 6-foot-4 guard to make a difference for his team as he quickly transitioned from a bench role to becoming a starter.

Over the regular season, Essegian scored 11.9 points per game, while shooting 41.7 % from the field and 38.8% from three. He also set a school record for the most three-pointers scored in a single season with 64.

"It feels great to be on that (list), but the guys on the team, they trusted me. I trusted them," Essegian said. "It's been all of us, honestly, but it's a great feeling. I wasn't really sure what position I'd be in coming into this team, so I'm just thankful for the opportunity,” Essegian continued.

After Wisconsin lost to the Ohio State in the Big-10 tournament, they are projected to miss NCAA’s maiden playoff tournament, March Madness, for the first time since 2017-18.

For next season, Essegian has the opportunity to transfer schools by entering the NCAA’s transfer portal should he want to.

09/03/2023

Nair Tiknizyan To Represent Armenia Ahead Of Euro Qualifying Campaign
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FC Lokomotiv Moscow left-back Nair Tiknizyan has officially announced that he will play for the Armenian Men’s National Football Team.

The 23 year-old represented Russia at all youth levels, notably playing at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

“I am grateful to the Football Federation of Armenia for this chance. I will try to prove that I can help Armenian national team. It was my initiative to make this decision,” were Tiknizyan’s first comments since he made the decision official.

The FFA have been trying to get Tiknizyan for the national team for many years. In 2021, Football Federation of Armenia President Armen Melikbekyan stated, “We invited him to join Armenia NT. He asked for a little time to make decision.” In September of 2022, Tiknizyan stated, “They [Armenia] called me 6 months ago. I told them: If I said no now, then tomorrow I could say yes.”

The decision was finally announced once Armenia hired Oleksandr Petrakov to take over managerial duties. Having prioritized youth throughout his managerial career, there is no doubt that Petrakov played a massive role in having TIknizyan represent his homeland.

It is expected that Tiknizyan will be Armenia’s starting left back for Armenia’s crucial 2024 Euro Qualifying match against Turkey on March 25th.

25/02/2023

Armenian Basketball Federation Rejected Entrance To U18 European Championships By Hosts Azerbaijan
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The Armenian Basketball Federation will not be sending a team to the U18 European Champions Division C in 2023 as they have been rejected entrance into Azerbaijan.

It was announced in the summer of 2022 that this years edition of the championships will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan at the Heydar Aliyev Arena.

The Basketball Federation of Armenia requested that they compete in Division B for 2023 as that tournament would be taking place in Matosinhos, Portugal. However FIBA rejected the appeal citing a gap in competition to be the main reason. As a result, Armenia will not be competing at the U18 level in 2023.

The U-16 Boy’s team will be competing in Prishtina, Kosovo between the 15th and 23rd of July.

Armenian player Arman Abajian was greatly disappointed with FIBA’s rejection to Armenia’s appeal to compete in Portugal as his development with Armenia is “ruined due to political problems.” Arman and the rest of the U18 team is a prime example of how Armenophobia is deeply rooted in the the nation of Azerbaijan and how their hate towards Armenians exceeds disputes at the border.

09/02/2023

Michel Der Zakarian Becomes New Manager For French Club Montpellier
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Former Armenia Men’s National Team player and current football manager Michel Der Zakarian (MDZ) has announced that he will be the new manager of Ligue 1 club Montpellier HSC in France.

MDZ has spent a combined 22 years with Montpellier making 233 appearances for the side as a player and most recently managing the club between 2017-2021.

Following his 4 years as the manager of Montpellier, Der Zakarian signed with fellow Ligue 1 side Brest. After a record setting run where the club won 7 matches in a row, his contract with the club was extended until 2024. However, after winning once within the first 10 games of the 2022-23 Ligue 1 campaign, MDZ was terminated from his managerial role at Brest.

The Armenian has now been re-appointed as Montpellier’s manager after they sacked Romain Pitau 24 hours earlier.

“I hope he will bring all his desire that he brought during his first stint with the first team and will manage to keep the club in Ligue 1,” Montpellier president Laurent Nicollin said.

Montpellier are currently 15th in Ligue 1, 2 points clear of a relegation playoff with the top teams from France’s second division. MDZ hopes to inject a new found energy into the club so that they remain in the top division next season.

26/10/2022

Armenian Disabled Athletes Win Nine Medals at Para-Armwrestling Championships in Turkey
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Armenian Disabled Sports Federation Athletes represented our country at the 2022 World Para-Armwrestling Championships held in Antalya, Turkey this past week. The event brought over 1,500 athletes and officials together from 54 countries.

The Armenian athletes dominated the championships and brought home nine medals, including four gold and five bronze.

The medalists for Armenia were; Shahen Babayan, Alexander Movsesyan, Sargis Harutyunyan, Marine Mkrtchyan and Naira Mesropyan.

25/10/2022

Norberto Balekian Helps Boca Juniors Win The Argentine Premier League
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Armenia Men’s National Team striker Norberto Briasco Balekian has achieved both his and his father’s lifelong dream to lift the Argentine Premier League trophy for legendary club Boca Juniors.

After drawing with Independiente at La Bombanera, Boca needed rivals River Plate to either draw or defeat second place club Racing. A goal from River Plate in the 95th minute secured the title for Boca.

Balekian transferred to Boca Junior in July of 2021 after receiving numerous offers from Italian and Dutch clubs. In a season that was interrupted by numerous injuries, Balekian remained grounded and even scored the game winning goal against Colon, 3 points that were crucial to Boca’s marginal 2 point title victory.

“I had to go through bad times, injuries, that I couldn't recover from. I suffered a lot. And crowning it with this is a huge joy, both for me and for this whole group that deserves,” Balekian stated when asked about what this title means to him.

A now fully recovered Balekian hopes to rejoin Armenia when they face both Kosovo and Albania during the November friendly window.

Zartonk Sports

30/06/2024

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