Armenia schedule in EURO 2012 qualifier announced

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia schedule is as follows:

03.09.10 Armenia - Ireland 07.09.10 Macedonia - Armenia 08.10.10 Armenia - Slovakia 12.10.10 Armenia - Andorra 26.03.11 Russia - Armenia 04.06.11 Armenia - Russia 02.09.11 Andorra - Armenia 06.09.11 Slovakia - Armenia 07.10.11 Armenia - Montenegro 11.10.11 Ireland - Armenia.

According to chief coach Vardan Minasyan, the schedule is very convenient for Armenia.

Chess

Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian came 9th at Amber Blindfold and Rapid Tournament, defeating Cuba’s Leinier Dominguez 1.5:0.5 in the final round. Magnus Carlsen (Norway) and Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine) won the tournament with 14.5 points.

*

Armenian chess players Arman Pashikyan and Vladimir Akopian, who were participating in European Individual Chess Championship, broke through to the World Cup.

Boxing

King Arthur Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) returned to the USA on March 20, to continue his preparation for the eagerly-anticipated Super Six World Boxing Classic showdown with Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs). The two super-middleweights lock horns at the famous Joe Louis Arena on Saturday, March 27.

“This has been the longest preparation of my life. I did not have any time off since November. In my first year as a professional, I made 12 fights – and now I have been training non-stop for five months. I am really eager to get back in the ring,” Arthur Abraham said.

“I am sure there will be lots of German and Armenian fans cheering for me in Detroit,” he noted, adding: “Andre Dirrell can count on the support of his fans. But that will not help him once he is inside the ring with me. It will just be the two of us. Fighting in Florida did not help Edison Miranda either – I stopped him in the fourth round (in June 2008).”

“Dirrell is very fast, very skilled and very awkward fighter. But together with my coach Ulli Wegner we have come up with a plan to beat him.”

“The winner in this tournament will be a legend. It is my dream and my goal to become a boxing legend, so the Super Six tournament is the best thing that could have happened to me – and the fans all over the world,” he said.

The trainer of Arthur Abraham, Ulli Wegner, has urged his fighter to get the knockout when he takes on Andre Dirrell on Saturday night at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

Dirrell-Abraham is the first fight in the second stage of the Super Six super middleweight tournament. Abraham is the tournament leader in points after scoring the only knockout of the tournament last year against Jermain Taylor. Dirrell lost a close points decision to WBC champion Carl Froch.

Wegner sees no reason to let the fight head to the judges in Dirrell's hometown.

"Arthur must get the knockout. There is not point in allowing it to go to the judges who can see things differently," he said.

*

A deal is very close to being reached for a rematch between WBC/WBA super flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan (34-2-1, 27KOs) and WBA-interim champion Nonito Donaire (23-1, 15KOs).

The potential date for the rematch is August 7 on Showtime. Prior to the rematch with Darchinyan, Donaire is probably going to take a tune-up on May 15, BoxingScene.com reported.

Donaire knocked Darchinyan out in five rounds in 2007.

Tennis

Argentinean wild card David Nalbandian, on the comeback trail after undergoing hip surgery last year, cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 in over Poland's Lukasz Kubot in the 1st round of 2010 Sony Ericsson Open. In the second-round action, Nalbanidan won 6:3, 4:6, 6:4 over Serbian Viktor Troicki.

Handball

Armenian women’s handball team (18-21 age category) participated in Challenge Trophy international tournament, also hosting teams from Israel, Cyprus and Malta.

In the 2nd tour, Armenians were beaten 9:32 by Israeli players. In the last tour, they gained 21:12 victory over Malta, having won bronze in Challenge trophy tournament. Hosting Israeli team won the tournament, defeating Cyprus 25:16.

Armine Antonyan was announced the top goal-scorer of Challenge Trophy, with goal aggregate of 28.