On Sunday, May 3 at Homenetemen Navasartian’s 34th annual kick-off party, the Western United States Regional Executive Committee named Zakar Chorbajian as this year’s “Exemplary Homenetmen Member.”
On this occasion, we had pleasure of meeting Chorbajian and got to know him better up close and personl. His decades of activism in Homenetmen left no doubt as to his value in this wonderful organization. His involvement began in 1945 in Bourdj Hammoud, as a scout leader. Over the years, his hands-on efforts and vast knowledge made him an indispensable asset to his beloved Homenetmen and earned him much acclaim.
However, his love for soccer and sports pulled him in that direction from 1950 and on. From that date going forward, Chorbajian has had many roles in Bourdj Hammoud’s Homenetmen chapter executive committee, and as an athletic director, contributed to Homenetmen’s excellence and great success in soccer during those formative years. With success came promotion for Homenetmen’s soccer program and the team rose to play and compete in Lebanon’s top soccer league. This success earned Chorbajian the highest accolades in addition to the adoration and respect of his friends and colleagues throughout Lebanon.
During and after to his tremendous achievements in the soccer program, Chorbajian proceeded to add further successes in organizing marathons, track and field competitions, and was a secondary school soccer organizer and director. He was entrusted, by then President Sulaiman Franjiyeh of Lebanon to run, organize, and direct the Regional University’s Annual Soccer Competition. This earned him the president’s much deserved “ARZ” Medal every year from 1962 to 1973. In addition, throughout his many visits to countries in the Middle East, Chorbajian has also been the recipient of Jordan’s Royal Medal of Honor.
Zakar Chorbajian, as a Los Angeles resident, has had an immense role in the formation of the soccer teams and soccer tournaments in the Western U.S. Region chapters, which included, but was not limited to, the formation of Homenetmen’s Veteran’s Soccer Program. A well known figure in the athletic arena, his consummate involvement has earned him the nickname, “The Soccer Field Mad Man.”
Chorbajian, seeing Homenetmen rise to where it is today and achieve the heights it has throughout the decades, desperately yearns to see the newer generations take part and become members in this undeniably noble organization. And on the occasion of becoming this year’s exemplary Homenetmenagan, Chorbajian feels extremely honored to be given the chance to shine for the decades of unwavering, honorable, and exemplary service he’s given to Homenetmen and his community at large.
We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Zakar Chorbajian for his newest accolade, which is one of many he’s received throughout his distinguished service, in the hopes that his ‘Dibar” stance will catch on and become an example to many others.
