After 21 Years, Ski Federation President Resigns Over Funding Crisis and Ministry Disputes

Gagik Sargsyan has announced his resignation as president of the Armenian Skiing Federation, ending more than two decades of work inside the organization. His decision comes after years of unresolved disagreements with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport (MoESCS), continued funding delays, and growing pressure on the federation following a recent international controversy.

Sargsyan has been involved in the federation for 21 years, holding several leadership roles during that time. In his statement, he made clear that his resignation was not sudden, but the result of long-standing problems with the state-authorized body responsible for sports development in Armenia.

According to Sargsyan, the federation has repeatedly sent proposals and complaints to the ministry over many years, but these issues were never properly addressed. He said that real progress in skiing and snow sports requires cooperation from both sides, something he believes has been missing.

“I decided that I am removing myself from the equation. Perhaps my own person is an obstacle to the state doing much more for these sports,” Sargsyan said, adding that he will continue his professional work abroad.

The immediate trigger for his resignation was the absence of state funding for 2026. Sargsyan said that, as of January 20, no funding agreement had been signed, making it impossible for the federation to function normally. Because of this, four planned events have already failed to take place, including an international ranking competition that was scheduled to be held in Poland.

“As of January 20, we still have not received state funding. For years, the Armenian championships have been held on credit, and the same situation continues now,” he said.

The lack of financing has placed the federation in an increasingly unstable position. Sargsyan reported that the Armenian junior championships have been postponed indefinitely, while the senior championships may also be canceled. He explained that without guaranteed funding, the federation cannot respond to the technical delegates of the International Ski Federation (FIS), putting Armenia’s participation in official competitions at risk.

This crisis unfolded against the backdrop of an incident involving Armenian skier Mikael Mikaelyan during the Tour de Ski competition in Toblach, Italy. During the event, Mikaelyan covered the word “Azerbaijan” on his competition suit with adhesive tape. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) later fined the athlete for covering the inscription.

Following the incident, Minister Zhanna Andreasyan announced on January 7 that the ministry had sent an inquiry to the Armenian Skiing Federation requesting clarification. She stated that “sport should be about sport, and it is important that during competitions on the sporting field we adhere as much as possible to all the rules of fair and honest sport.”

While Sargsyan did not directly link his resignation to the inquiry, the timing of events has raised questions about growing pressure on the federation’s leadership. With funding already frozen and communication with the ministry strained, the additional scrutiny appears to have further weakened the federation’s position.

By stepping down, Sargsyan suggested he was removing what he believes the state sees as an obstacle, in the hope that the ministry might take more active steps to support skiing and snow sports in Armenia. His departure leaves the federation facing uncertainty, with competitions in jeopardy and no clear solution yet to the ongoing funding dispute.

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