Sport should be out of politics, but recent years proves the opposite - Igor Beraya

Sukhum. October 26. Apsnypress. Said Dzharsaliya. The international wrestling tournament held in Yerevan from 21 to 23 October, was dedicated to the memory of honored coach, hero of Artsakh war Vahan Zatikyan. To represent the Republic of Abkhazia in the tournament went athletes of different weight classes, pupils of the wrestling Section of the Committee on Youth and Sports of the General Administration of Sukhum: Timur Gabniya (29 kg), Nestor Tsulukiya (32 kg), Oleg Urchukov (35 kg), Albert Petrosyan (46 kg), Levard Lukava (63 kg). 

The tournament was attended by athletes from Iran, Georgia, Dagestan, Ingushetia, North Ossetia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine.

About what happened next in the tournament told Igor Beraia: "Everything was ok. We arrived in Yerevan, our delegation was met perfectly. After some time at the training camp, we were informed that the Republic of Abkhazia is expelled from the tournament. Then we learned that this was contributed by Georgia. Even without saying anything the hosts of the tournament, via their embassy in Armenia, they have done everything to exclude us from the tournament". "I am sorry for our athletes. They were physically well prepared and we knew that we would not return to our homeland without prizes", - he said.

Then, according to Beraya was held a friendly tournament between athletes of Abkhazia and Armenia, where the prizes were won by Oleg Urchukov, Albert Petrosyan and Levard Lukava.

"Sport should be out of politics! But recently it proved otherwise. I note that this is not the first incident with the Georgian side. Whatever it was, we would be tempered in difficulties. And I'm sure that next year we will perform at a high level without problems", - Beraya stressed.