US sports envoys hold wheelchair basketball clinic in Armenia

Paralympic medallist Rose Hollermann and three-time Paralympic gold medallist Steve Serio conducted a wheelchair basketball masterclass for young people in Armenia as part of the US State Department’s Sports Envoy Programme, organised with the support of the US Embassy in Armenia.

The initiative was implemented in cooperation with the Armenian Wheelchair Basketball Federation, the Yerevan Municipality, Ayb School and other partner organisations.

Held as part of events marking the 250th anniversary of US independence, the programme featured training sessions with Armenian athletes, while Hollermann and Serio also took part in an exhibition match.

“The goal of the Sports Envoy Programme is to build connections and raise awareness about accessibility in sports. People often think that having a disability means the end of life as they know it, but it simply means adapting life differently. We are working to make the world more accessible for everyone,” Hollermann told reporters.

According to Arsen Makvetsyan, head of Yerevan Municipality’s Sports and Youth Affairs Department, the city authorities continue to prioritise issues affecting people with disabilities.

“Our goal is to expand the scale of such tournaments. This is not the first time Yerevan Municipality has supported the organisation of similar events,” he said.

A similar initiative was also held in the city of Gyumri.