A groundbreaking ceremony for a children’s and youth sports complex named after renowned Armenian boxer Arthur Abraham took place in Yerevan on Monday.
The complex is being built in the Nerkin Charbakh neighborhood of the Shengavit administrative district, under the coordination of the Urban Development Committee. The land designated for the project was acquired years ago by Abraham himself.
The total cost of the project is estimated at 2.3 billion drams (approximately $6 million), fully funded by the Armenian government.
According to officials, the sports complex will consist of two buildings, featuring one underground level and three above-ground floors. The first building will include general training gyms, boxing and wrestling halls, locker rooms, saunas, medical and massage rooms, and administrative offices. The second building will house a basketball hall.
Abraham, a former professional boxer, competed in 53 bouts throughout his career, recording 47 victories and six defeats. A multiple-time world champion, he held the IBF middleweight title from 2005 to 2009 and the WBO super-middleweight title twice between 2012 and 2016. He announced his retirement from professional boxing in 2021.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the ceremony, along with Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan, Chairman of the Urban Development Committee Yeghiazar Vardanyan, and other officials.
Following the project presentation, Pashinyan and Abraham signed a symbolic message addressed to future generations. The message was then placed into the foundation of the building by Abraham together with a group of young athletes.
Officials noted that the project is part of a broader government initiative aimed at honoring Armenian athletes who have achieved international success, while promoting sports development and healthy lifestyles across the country.
The initiative comes amid wider efforts to expand sports infrastructure throughout Armenia. Earlier, a sports school named after Olympic champion Simon Martirosyan was opened, while another facility named after wrestlers Roman and Malkhas Amoyan is expected to break ground in the village of Alagyaz in the coming months.
In October, renowned Armenian weightlifter Nazik Avdalyan also announced plans for a major sports development project in the village of Panik in Shirak Province. The initiative envisions the construction of a modern sports school built to international standards, serving both as a training facility and a center for community development.
