YEREVAN — Armenian Greco-Roman wrestlers returned home to a hero’s welcome on August 23. At Zvartnots Airport the athletes were greeted by thousands of fans, relatives and officials.
Reigning world and Olympic champ Artur Aleksanyan (98 kg) beat Russia’s Musa Yevloyev 3-1 in the final to claim gold at the 2017 World Wrestling Championships in Paris. Maksim Manukyan claimed gold in the 80-kilogram category.
The next day, President Serzh Sargsyan received the three-time world and European champion, bronze medalist of the Olympic Games, gold medalist of the Summer Olympics in 2016 Alexanyan and world champion Maxim Manukyan, who won gold medals at the Greco-Roman wrestling world championship. The meeting was attended by Armenian national team head coach Levon Julfalakyan and Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Hrachya Rostomyan.
The president complimented his guests on coming back to Homeland with great achievements. Sargsyan thanked them for giving people great joy, pride and bolstering the spirits of all Armenians.
He pointed to the fact that any winning athlete sets a good example for the rising generation who are thereby encouraged to be like them and become more industrious and purposeful.
Sargsyan asked Rostomyan and Julfalakyan about the efforts aimed at providing more favorable conditions for developing wrestling in Armenia and expressed readiness to assist them with the timely and proper implementation of the planned activities.
