Armenia has a long and proud history in the world of sports. The country has produced world-class athletes in various disciplines, including boxing, football, and chess. However, in recent years, a number of these athletes have chosen to leave the country and renounce their citizenship. This has raised concerns about the state of sports in Armenia and the role of politics in the country’s sports programs.

One of the most recent examples of this trend is the case of Eric Israelyan, the world and European youth boxing champion. Israelyan announced on March 27th, 2023, that he was renouncing his Armenian citizenship and leaving the country. He cited the complete indifference of the Armenian authorities to his activities as the reason for his decision. Israelyan’s father has also complained that his son has not been taken to competitions, with politics being cited as the reason.

Unfortunately, Israelyan’s case is not isolated. Since 2018, several popular athletes have refused to perform under the flag of Armenia, and there is a clear political subtext to many of these decisions. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Levon Aronian, and Gor Minasyan are some of the most well-known athletes who have left the country in recent years.

Gor Minasyan’s transfer to the Bahrain national team can be interpreted logically. Armenia already has three accomplished athletes in the heavyweight category, so Minasyan likely saw better opportunities elsewhere. However, in the cases of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Levon Aronian, the political implications are more apparent.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the former captain of the Armenian national football team, was deprived of his diplomatic passport in September 2018. This caused additional difficulties for him, and he subsequently lost to Italy with a score of 9:1. At the time, Mesrop Arakelyan, the chairman of the FFA Internal Audit and Compliance Committee, suggested that the captain of the national team needed to be changed. Although the president of the Football Federation, Artur Vanetsyan, stated that Arakelyan’s statement was absurd and that the FFA did not share this opinion, the damage had already been done.

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In 2019, Mkhitaryan’s mother, Marina Tashchyan, who was also a member of the FFA executive committee, harshly criticized the election of the FFA president. Rumors began to spread in the press that Mkhitaryan might not be invited to the national team, which were subsequently confirmed by his mother. Mkhitaryan’s training was mainly focused on the unsuccessful performances of the national team. Finally, in March 2023, he announced that he was retiring from the national team.

Levon Aronian, the three-time World Chess Olympiad champion in the Armenian national team and two-time World Cup winner, provided a clear and concrete explanation for his departure. He stated that he hoped his departure would disappoint those responsible and encourage other chess players to have the right attitude, while also urging for serious state support for the sport. Aronian has close ties with the 3rd President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, who is also Levon’s godfather. Unlike the current authorities, Levon never missed an opportunity to praise the 3rd president. The statements he made in his farewell speech to the Armenian national team were very expressive.

Levon Aronian expressed his frustration, year after year, waiting for changes that never came, which he considered wasted time in his sports career. He acknowledged the sacrifices of his family, particularly his mother, in supporting his journey as a chess player, only for him to not have the opportunity to reach his full potential.

In conclusion, the departure of talented athletes like Eric Israelyan, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Levon Aronian from Armenia has highlighted the complex relationship between sports and politics in the country. Their decisions to renounce their citizenship and seek opportunities elsewhere raise concerns about the state of sports and the support provided by Armenian authorities. It is essential for the country to address these concerns, foster a supportive environment for athletes, and ensure that politics does not hinder the development and success of its sporting community.