«They Were Not Hostile». Gagik Khachaturyan on Security During the World Championship in Baku

The head coach of the Armenian national team in Greco-Roman wrestling for under 17, Gagik Khachaturyan, discussed the security conditions during the World Championship held in Baku in an interview with Sputnik Armenia.

According to him, although there was some initial tension among the team members, there were no problems related to security during the competitions.

“They took our safety upon themselves everywhere... Nevertheless, there was tension among us; I must say that we looked at people's faces, they seemed uncertain as they glanced towards us when they saw 'Armenia.' But since the competitions were held at the Heydar Aliyev Sports Complex, the security was managed as it would be at the Olympic Games. It was conducted in accordance with international standards and at a high level,” stated Khachaturyan.

He noted that communication with security personnel over the course of several days occurred in a natural atmosphere. “We interacted with those people for 4-5 days. They came and went, talked, they spoke Russian, and some even said, ‘Hey brother, how are you?’ in Armenian. They were not hostile towards us; they were doing their professional work,” added the coach.

It is worth noting that the Armenian national team achieved one gold and two bronze medals at the U17 Greco-Roman wrestling World Championship held in Baku.