Open Sports Day 2003

Thanks to the huge efforts of the Sports Day Committee and their hard work in organising this years Homenetmen Sports Day, the event took place on Sunday 20^th July 2003 at the Brunel University Sports Centre, Osterley.

The objective of this event was to unite both Homenetmen marzigs and the youth of the Armenian community in London through various competitive sporting events.

The event mainly consisted of a 5-a-side football and 3-on-3 basketball tournament, as well as a table-tennis competition. Alongside the sporting aspect of the day there was entertainment for all ages ranging from backgammon for the elders to Playstation games and dancing mats for the children. The Homenetmen "Dndesagan" Committee spared no effort in organising the food and drink on the day.

   

The event witnessed a healthy turnout, with over 75 participating marzigs and a large number of supporters attending. Six football teams and two junior football teams participated in the football tournament; four men's basketball teams and two ladies teams participated in the basketball tournament; 21 players took part in the table-tennis event, with some eager marzigs participating in more than one sport.

Throughout the day the competitive atmosphere was evident between the participating teams. However this did not hinder the immense team spirit not only within the teams, but also within all of the participants.

The football tournament was formatted with two group stages followed by the semi final and eventual final. The matches produced some terrific moments and a lot of goals. The most memorable match being the group match between teams Gars and Ani; after going 3-0 down in the first half, team Gars came back to win 4-3 in the last minute of the match.

The first semi final was between teams Lachin and Gars. This was followed by the second semi between teams Van and Stepanagerd. Team Lachin and team Van progressed to the final, which was in itself a thrilling match that captivated the attention of all the participants and supporters. The two teams had met each other before in the group stages with team Van winning; would history repeat itself? The answer was no, after going into half time 2-1 down; team Lachin rallied together to win the final 5-2.

The crowd were on their feet to applaud the performances from both teams, as they truly played their hearts out to produce a fitting final for a brilliant day.

The junior football teams formed their groups on the day and battled for first place in a 'best of 3' game set. Both teams, unrelenting in their quest to win, provided exciting entertainment for spectators who eventually saw team Ayp take the winners prize. Following the junior players performances, the seniors were convinced of the up and coming talent that will eventually makes it's way to the men's team.

The men's basketball was organised so that each of the four teams that entered in the tournament competed against all the other teams. The two highest scoring teams continued to the finals and the remaining teams played for 3^rd and 4^th position.

It was refreshing seeing some new talent amongst the teams combined with the skilful experienced players, which produced an exciting competition. There was some rivalry and heated moments on the court though this was all down to the competitive nature of the players and the game. The players were showing off their skills and some stunning ball moves were made. All in all a class of basketball that could well rattle teams of many basketball leagues.

Team Zankezor eventually won the men's battle of the basketball, beating team Moush by a close 14-10.

Team Sassoun won the Ladies basketball in a 'best of 3' game, overcoming team Sipan 16-8 in the final match. Some great moves were evident from players of both teams, in particular team Sassoun. Lets hope that this, combined with all the ladies from the Homenetmen team, will carry on when they enter the Women's Middlesex Basketball League this year.

After a marathon table-tennis tournament that attracted a large number of budding players, last minute entrant Hrach Boghosian took first place, beating Nancy Revi 21-14 in the final; Alex Katsouris finished in third place leaving George Panossian close behind in fourth.

The closing ceremony presented the winning teams and the runner-ups with their medals and prizes. The team captains led the teams to collect their medals from members of the Homenetmen London Executive Committee. Teams Lachin, Zankezor and Sassoun collected gold for their exploits in the football and basketball competitions. Teams Van, Moush and Sipan collected silver, followed by team Gars and Yerevan collecting bronze. The presentation of the prizes to the junior football teams followed, with team Ayp in first place and team Pen in second. The gold, silver and bronze medals for the table-tennis winners were handed to Hrach Boghosian, Nancy Revi and Alex Katsouris respectively.

  

Final Positions Table:

As the day came to an end, all teams celebrated the success of the day. The Sports Day Committee in turn were pleased, having achieved their goal of using sport as a medium to unite the youth of the Armenian community. As for those who missed out on the limelight... there's always next time!

Report written by: Oshin Mehrabi and Narbay Assadoorian