On Thursday, November 10, 2016, the gym of Ararat Armenian Sport and Cultural Union of New Julfa hosted a school-wide basketball tournament dedicated to the memory of the founding benefactors of the Kananian All Girls Armenian Middle (High) School and the Katarinian All-Boys Middle (High) School of New Julfa.

As Yeranush Tahmazian told Hayern Aysor from Iran, the event was organized by the schools’ administrations, in close collaboration with the Parent Councils, the Central Committee of Ararat Armenian Sport and Cultural Union of New Julfa and the Union’s Sports Unit. Spiritual superintendent of Shahinshahr, Fr. Supreme Archimandrite Anania Gujanian honored the event with his presence. The tournament was for the students divided into the Artsakh, Arka, Baze and Spartak teams, and the Artsakh and Arka teams, which scored the most points, competed in the final stage. The Artsakh team won and was awarded, and all the participants were granted commemorative gifts.

Each team comprised male and female athletes, making the tournament more interesting. What was more interesting was the fact that the male basketball players were careful with the female basketball players, even though they were physically strong, and this was praised by Kananian School’s deputy superintendent Rima Simonian and Father Anania Gujanian. They also expressed words of gratitude to the referees, the arbiters, the nurse, the parent and student councils and those who had helped make the tournament possible. His Holiness also voiced hope that this beautiful tournament would be ongoing and said what was important was the love and respect of the players, which would be seen during the games. In that regard, His Holiness expressed his gratitude to the representatives of the two schools, including Rima Simonian and Ruben Khachik Grigorian.

Photos by Yeranush Tahmazian