29th Annual South American Games Gather Hundreds of Enthusiasts in Montevideo / Montevideo Youth Group Also Celebrates 60th Anniversary

Commemorating both AGBU’s Centennial and the 60th Anniversary of AGBU Montevideo’s Liga de Jóvenes (youth group), the local Chapter attracted hundreds of sporting enthusiasts from July 12-16, 2006, for the highly anticipated AGBU 29th South American Olympic Games. A winter tradition that aims to unite the continent’s young Armenians, the event is hosted annually in Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Montevideo or São Paolo.

The Inaugural Ceremony for the Games was held on July 12 in the Misak Kouyoumdjian Gymnasium of the local Alex Manoogian Center. Among the opening’s guests were Under-Secretary of the Uruguayan Ministry of Sport and Tourism, Lilian Kechichian; Cordoba Chapter Chairman, Ricardo Erezian; Buenos Aires Chapter General Secretary, Antonio Sarafian; Representative of the São Paolo Chapter’s Executive Council, Monica Nalbandian; Archbishop Hagop Kelendjian; and Father Obed Boyadjian, who gave the invocation for the commencement of the event; and members of the current Montevideo Chapter Committee. Pairing athletics with culture, the ceremony also included performances by a marching band and a dance troupe consisting of students from the Montevideo AGBU Nubarian Manoogian School, along with an electrifying roller-blading number by the Chapter’s youth group, and the Olympiad torch lighting.

Following a warm welcome by Masters of Ceremony, Pablo Karslian and Valeria Momdjian, Lilian Kechichian addressed the young athletes on behalf of the national Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and then passed the podium to Karine Keussayan, a representative of the Montevideo Liga. To lead off the competitions, the final event of the evening was a soccer match between Montevideo and São Paolo, with the home team coming out ahead of their Brazilian counterparts – winning 8-3.

The competition continued the next morning with men’s ping-pong and chess, followed by women’s ping-pong and a heated backgammon competition. Track-and-field activities started off the afternoon, along with team sports, such as junior and senior indoor soccer, volleyball and basketball, at the Misak Kouyoumdjian Gymnasium. As in the past, the Games attracted a capacity audience, and fostered a feeling of camaraderie among the participants and spectators alike.

On the evening of July 14, a sold-out show, entitled The Sounds of Your Music, was held in the Crystal Room of the Uruguayan capital’s Manoogian Center. The AGBU Grung Choir, directed by Maestro Alvaro Hagopian and consisting of over 30 members, kicked off the evening. Other highlights included a kamancha performance by Nshte Boyadjian, and a finale by the Armenian rock band, Los Garabedutiun. The festivities continued in the same venue the following evening with the closing dinner gala.

The Games concluded on Sunday, July 16, with a farewell luncheon and trophy ceremony. Each athlete also received a commemorative medal for his/her participation in the 29th Annual AGBU South American Games.

The Montevideo Youth Group continued the celebration of its 60th Anniversary with a dinner banquet on November 17, 2006, at the local Center. Organized by the Chapter’s youth, the evening was attended by hundreds of supporters, members and former Liga Chairmen. To enhance the festive occasion, the current youth group members staged a surprise cultural program, which included a theatrical skit and tango performance depicting the early years and evolvement of AGBU Liga de Jóvenes in Uruguay’s capital.

For more information on AGBU Montevideo, please visit www.ugab.org.uy, email ugabuy@montevideo.com.uy, or call the AGBU Alex Manoogian Center, located in Montevideo, Uruguay at +598.2209.8810.