The
first half of the 30-s of the last century is considered to
be the birth of the sports of the deaf. Soon sports and phisical
culture became very popular among the hard-of-hearing citizens
of the country.
Armenian sportsmen have become prizewinners at all-union championships
several times, have regularly been included in USSR teams, participated
in many World games and other International competitions. Different
types of sports have been initiated and developed in the country,
namely: track and field athletics, walleyball, table tennis).
But it should be mentioned, that they showed the best results
and success in wrestling and football.
Thus, in 1961 during the World Games of the deaf in Helsinki(Finland)
the legendary wrestler Rudolf Vardanyan gained the gold in the
weight category of up to 67kg. In 1969 in Belgrad his compatriot
Albert Minosyan repeated the mentioned outstanding achievement
in the weight category of up to 52kg. Armenia gave the world
a nood number of talented football players, among them such
masters as:Volodya Stepanyan,Vanik Grigoryan and Ashot Sahakyan.
And of-course we may not forget the famous goalkeeper Nikolay
Mamajanyan, who became the winner of the first Championship
of Europe in USSR team.
