Azerbaijani authorities are running an anti-Armenian campaign in the country. This is what members of the Armenian athletic delegation, including vice-president of the State Sport Committee and Secretary General of the Armenian National Olympiad Committee Armen Grigoryan, vice-president of the Armenian National Olympiad Committee Razmik Stepanyan, and chief trainer of the Greek-Roman style wrestling team of Armenia Levon Julfalakyan, who have just returned from Baku, said during a press conference on Monday.
According to Stepanyan, it was unnecessary to know the Azerbaijani language in order to understand the anti-Armenian speeches of the Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliev, and to feel the attitudes towards Armenia and Artsakh. The representatives of Azerbaijan even asked the Armenian delegates not to speak Armenian in multi-national populated places. According to Stepanyan, it is still unclear as to how many Armenian wrestlers will leave for Baku, that is, of course, if it is decided that they will indeed leave. Unlike soccer, in which case Azerbaijan can insist on organizing the match in a neutral zone, in the case of wrestling Baku does not have the choice of withdrawing, and thus has found itself in a difficult situation.