April 20, 2009 - 20:00 AMT
Garnik Hayrapetyan: Armenian kickboxers fully justified our expectations
RA Kickboxing Federation President Garnik Hayrapetyan is more than satisfied with Armenian Team's performance at European Cup due on Apr. 13-16 in Kharkov.

Armenian kickboxers fully justified our expectations, having won 4 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze medals, Garnik Hayrapetyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

According to Federation President, kickboxing has made an obvious progress in Armenia within the last 5 years.

"In 2003 we managed to win just one gold medal at the international tournament, but by 2007 medals' number rose to 7. In 2007 World Championship we won 9 gold medals, and the year 2009 brought us 4 gold medals at the World cup. The number of kickboxers in Armenia rose to 3200 from 1000.

Currently there are 40 high class coaches and 20 umpires, 5 of them umpires of International category. We conduct an intensive work to develop kickboxing in Armenia. Kickboxing schools are already operating in Hoktemberyan, Goris, Vardenis, Martuni and are planned to be set up in other regions of Armenia."