Flight Disruptions in Middle East Leave Armenia’s Gymnastics Team Unable to Reach World Cup in Turkey

Armenia’s men’s national gymnastics team will miss the third stage of the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup after being unable to leave Qatar due to widespread flight disruptions in the Middle East.

Many international flights across the region have been canceled as tensions and military developments in the Middle East continue to affect air travel. Several airlines have suspended routes or rerouted flights to avoid affected airspace, making it difficult for travelers to leave certain countries.

Because of these disruptions, Armenia’s gymnastics team remains in Qatar and cannot travel to Antalya, Turkey, where the third stage of the World Cup has begun.

The Armenian Gymnastics Federation confirmed the situation in an official statement.

“The federation announced, ‘Armenia’s national artistic gymnastics team will miss the third stage of the World Cup. Armenia’s men’s artistic gymnastics national team will miss the third stage of the World Cup, which begins today in Antalya, Turkey. Due to the current situation, the national team is unable to return from the training camp being held in Qatar, and as a result the team will not participate in the third stage of the tournament. It should be noted that the Armenian national team had also missed the second stage of the World Cup because it was held in Baku.”

The Armenian Report contacted the federation to learn more about the current situation of the athletes.

“The athletes are in a safe place, and the federation in Qatar is helping with everything. We are in daily contact with the ambassador. It is still unknown how many tournaments they will miss, since one of them is supposed to take place in Qatar. There are seven people there. The training camp has ended. We are waiting for flights to resume so they can return.”

According to the federation, the athletes had traveled to Qatar for a training camp ahead of upcoming international competitions. However, once the training camp ended, the team was unable to leave the country because flights in and out of the region were suspended or canceled.

The Armenian team had already missed the second stage of the World Cup earlier this season because it was held in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Seven members of the Armenian delegation are currently in Qatar. Officials say the athletes are safe and are receiving assistance from the local gymnastics federation Armenian diplomatic representatives are also in contact with the team while they wait for air travel to resume.

It remains unclear how long the disruptions will continue or whether the team will be able to participate in upcoming competitions. One of the future stages of the World Cup is expected to take place in Qatar, which could affect the team’s participation depending on travel conditions.

The Armenian Report also reached out to Armenia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport to ask what steps are being taken to assist the athletes and help them return to Armenia. As of now, the ministry has not yet provided a response.

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