Artur Aleksanyan: I was touched seeing Robert Abajyan’s father at airport (PHOTOS)

By Lusine Shahbazyan 

YEREVAN. – I will strive to become a double Olympic champion.

Newly crowned Olympic champion, two-time world and three-time European Greco-Roman wrestling champion Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia) stated the aforesaid at a press conference on Tuesday, as he spoke about the gold medal he won at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“I’m really proud to be the 14th Olympic champion in the history of Armenia and to win a gold medal for Armenia,” said Aleksanyan. “I’ve noted that I have all possible titles. But I will not rest with these results. I strive to always move forward. I want to increase the [number of my] gold medals in European and world championships. My next goal is to become a double Olympic champion.

“I had put [fallen Armenian soldier] Robert Abajyan’s picture on my T-shirt [during the medal ceremony] so that the whole world will recognize our heroes. I wish that our heroes are not forgotten. Our meeting with Robert Abajyan’s father took place upon arrival [in Armenia]. A man approached and hugged me at the airport. I didn’t know him. He thanked me and said that he is Robert’s father. At that moment, I was touched to see him.”

Late Junior Sergeant Robert Abajyan had courageously fallen while defending the borders of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) during the four-day war which Azerbaijan had unleashed against Artsakh, in early April, and he was posthumously bestowed upon the title of Hero of Artsakh.