Armenia to Miss Youth World Artistic Gymnastics Championships Due to Financial Difficulties

Armenia’s youth artistic gymnastics team will not be able to participate in the upcoming World Championships in Manila. This was announced by the head coach of the national team, Hakob Serobyan, during a meeting with journalists at the “Armenpress” press center following the 2025 World Championships in Jakarta.

According to Serobyan, the decision not to participate was made due to a lack of necessary funding:

“The Youth World Championships will be held in Manila, but unfortunately, we won’t be able to send even one gymnast. This is the second consecutive year that we lack state funding. We usually receive additional support at the end of the year, but it runs out quickly. We’ve repeatedly requested that funds be allocated in advance, but it never happens. We need increased financial support,” said the coach.

Despite financial hardships, Armenian gymnasts continue to show outstanding results on the international stage. In 2025, the national team’s athletes earned:

• 12 medals at the World Cup Series stages (8 gold)
• 4 medals at the European Championships (2 gold)
• 3 medals at the World Challenge Cup (1 gold)
• 1 gold at the Summer Universiade
• And 2 silvers at the World Championships.

“Even without proper support, the boys perform at an incredible level. I hope we can hold at least one more training camp this year,” Serobyan added.

It should be noted that in 2027, Yerevan will host the European Championships for adults, for which Armenia is preparing with great attention. Construction of a modern gymnastics hall at the Albert Azaryan School, where the prestigious tournament will take place, is currently underway.

This situation once again raises the issue of ensuring stable funding for sports programs in Armenia, especially in disciplines where the country has already established itself as a global leader.

Additionally, Hakob Serobyan mentioned another important point: starting next year, Armenia will compete in the team event to secure an Olympic quota for the 2028 Games.