Apologizes for ‘Unethical’ Gesture
MOSCOW—An Azeri sambo fighter has offered his apology for his unsportsmanlike behavior during the performance of Armenia’s national anthem at a recent competition, Levon Hayrapetian, the head of the Sambo (Unarmed Self-Defense) Federation of Armenia, told Armenpress.
The incident happened during the World Cup that took place in Moscow, Russia, from March 27 to 29. Ashot Danielian, an Artsakh-born Armenian fighter, won the tournament’s event in the 90-kg weight division. In the same event Azerbaijan’s Bakhtiyar Abbasov shared the third place with a Belarusian fighter.
During the performance of Armenia’s national anthem in honor of the winner, instead of listening to it standing on the podium, Abbasov demonstratively squatted, which was regarded as unethical behavior on his part.
“It was a violation of the norms of ethics that was also negatively assessed by the Azerbaijani leadership attending the competition,” Hayrapetian said.
The head of the Armenian Sambo Federation said that a representative of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia came up to him and personally offered his apologies while the Azerbaijani athlete offered his apologies to Danielian.
Armenia and Azerbaijan warred in 1992-1994 and are still locked in a bitter dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh. Despite the latest upsurge in violence and rising military causalities in the simmering conflict, the Armenian National Olympic Committee said earlier in March that Armenian athletes will take part in the first-ever European Games to be held in Baku in June.
Axeri sambo fighter is envy of Safarov! This brain washed Axeri Turk have no clue, that politics and sport won’t mixed up together!
We should thank Bakhtiyar Abbasov for giving us free media coverage.