Judo of Armenia
Judo entered the Republic of Armenia at the end of 1960-ies, when the young students of the coach of Sambo wrestling from Gyumri – Robert Hovhannisyan showed high results in the international arena: Hovhannes Sargsyan won the honorable second prize at the European Youth Championship, which took place in England in 1968, and Aram Grigoryan won the third prize at the European Youth Championship, which took place in Italy in 1969. Telman Qocharyan from Yerevan, who had high sports results in Greco-Roman and Sambo wrestling in 1968 started to work as a coach and prepared a number of promising sportsmen, who started to record high results since the beginning of 1970-ies at USSR Judo Junior and Youth Championships.Henrik Grigoryan won the second place of USSR Youth Selective Championship in 1969 and Gagik Aghamalyanwon the second and third prize-winning places at USSR Junior Championships in 1971-72.
The founders of Judo in Armenia are Telman Qocharyan, Robert Galstyan and Hovhannes (Pavel) Sargsyan. As a coach of RA combined team Levon Eghiazaryan also has a great contribution to it.
In 1973 the Armenian Judo Federation was officially established and as a chairman was elected the head of the chair of wrestling of Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture Karlen Atoyan.
Afterwards as chairmen of JFA* were selected:
•1977-1985 – Isaac Danielyan
•1986-1991 – Zori Balayan
•1992-2010 – Alexan Avetisyan
•2010-2010 – Hrachya Rostomyan
•2010-2010 – Konstantin Bogdan
•2011 – Vardan Voskanyan
In 1973 there was also formed the adult combined team of Armenia and Telman Qocharyan was appointed as a senior coach. The second coach of the team was Robert Galstyan.
From Armenia in the Olympic Games participated:
• in 1996 in Atlanta– Arsen Gevorgyan – coach: A.Gevorgyan
•in 2000 in Sidney – Vardan Voskanyan– coaches T. and V, Hovhannisyan, N. Karslyan
•in 2004 in Athens– Armen Nazarayan – coach K. Abaghyan
•in 2008 in Beijing –Armen Nazarayan – coach K. Abaghyan
• in 2008 in Beijing-Hovhannes Davtyan–coach K. Simonyan
•in 2012 in London-Hovhannes Davtyan-the 7th place- coach K. Simonyan
• in 2012 in London – Armen Nazarayan – coach K. Abaghyan
The first prize-winner of Junior Olympic Games was:
• David Ghazaryan – 66 kg – coach G. Ghazaryan in 2010 in Singapore
Armenian prize-winners of the Olympic games were:
•in 1980 – Moscow- Bernar Chuloyan-78 kg-3rd place-France
•in 1996թ. – Atlanta- Armen Baghdasarov-86 kg -2nd place- Uzbekistan
•in 2012 – London-Arsen Galstyan- 60kg-1st place – Russia
The number of people training Judo in approximately 3000 in the Republic of Armenia.
After the foundation of the Judo Federation in Armenia chief coaches of the national combined team were:
• in 1973-1983 – Telman Qocharyan
• in 1984-1990 – Gaghik Aghamalyan
•in1991-1994 – Arthur Gevorgyan
•in 1995-1996 – Gagik Aghamalyan
•in 1997-1998 – Telman Qocharyan
•in1999-2005 – Tigran Babayan
•in 2005-2008 – Gagik Aghamalyan
•in 2009-2010 – Arthur Gevorgyan
•in 2010-2012 – Adrian Kroitoru
•in 2013 – Tigran Babayan
The Armenian Judo Federation has its important role in the international arena in the development of Judo as a sport. The evidence of it is that European Youth Championships for the young sportsmen of up to 23 and 20 ages were held in Yerevan in 2003 and 2009.
AFJ has serious progress also in the sphere of judging, the judges of international category are:
• Alexan Avetisyan – Olympic Category
• David Khitaryan – Olympic Category
•Varuzhan Israyelyan– International B Category
•Ararat Martirosyan – International B Category
•Serob Andreasyan – International B Category
* Judo Federation of Armenia
the material is taken from http://judo.am/armenian-judo
