The head coach of the Armenian national team shared his expectations for the performance at the home World Championship, which will be held in Yerevan from April 13 to 19, and also spoke about the team’s preparation.
— We used to think the World Championship was far away, somewhere in the future. But now there's only one month left. How do you anticipate the tournament?
— Honestly, there’s no real anticipation because the main job right now is studying our opponents, analyzing their rosters, and finalizing all the organizational aspects of our preparation. The fewer distractions, the better the quality of our work. That’s what I try to focus on.
— How would you assess the Armenian national team’s readiness for the World Championship? What progress have you made since taking charge?
— It’s nearly impossible to assess the team’s readiness because we still have half of the roster uncertain due to legal issues. The players are following individual preparation programs. We’re planning to hold another training camp cycle, and only after that will we be able to draw any definitive conclusions.
— What’s the most challenging and, at the same time, the most enjoyable aspect of playing a home tournament?
— The good part is that you know everything—you know the city, the logistics, the organizational matters, the arena. The hard part is understanding the level of responsibility, which is doubled in this case. That puts a lot of pressure on us. Our job is to help the athletes handle it.
— Have you studied your opponents? Can you briefly describe the strengths of each team?
— We’re still analyzing them. Not all team rosters are publicly available yet. What we can say for sure is that the Uzbekistan and Kuwait national teams are at an exceptionally high level. If we compare, they could compete with teams from the top league. It’s going to be very tough. They are the absolute leaders, the clear favorites—100%.
But Indonesia also has players with experience in the VHL and KHL. Malaysia and Iran are also preparing intensively. So, there won’t be any easy games. We’ll have to fight for every victory with everything we’ve got.
— Would you consider any placement other than first a failure?
— When you step onto the ice, you always want to take first place—there’s no point in aiming for anything less. The goal must be the highest possible result, with the highest possible expectations of ourselves. Right now, I’m not overthinking what would be considered a failure or a success. My task is to break down this big, important mission into smaller steps and tackle them one by one.
— Please say a few words to the fans whose support we’ll desperately need at the championship.
— Big-time hockey is returning to Armenia. The national team will be competing after a very long break. Without our fans in the stands, we have absolutely no chance. So, we’re looking forward to seeing everyone—whether you're new to hockey or already love the game. Come support your favorite athletes and cheer for your country!
— Honestly, there’s no real anticipation because the main job right now is studying our opponents, analyzing their rosters, and finalizing all the organizational aspects of our preparation. The fewer distractions, the better the quality of our work. That’s what I try to focus on.
— How would you assess the Armenian national team’s readiness for the World Championship? What progress have you made since taking charge?
— It’s nearly impossible to assess the team’s readiness because we still have half of the roster uncertain due to legal issues. The players are following individual preparation programs. We’re planning to hold another training camp cycle, and only after that will we be able to draw any definitive conclusions.
— What’s the most challenging and, at the same time, the most enjoyable aspect of playing a home tournament?
— The good part is that you know everything—you know the city, the logistics, the organizational matters, the arena. The hard part is understanding the level of responsibility, which is doubled in this case. That puts a lot of pressure on us. Our job is to help the athletes handle it.
— Have you studied your opponents? Can you briefly describe the strengths of each team?
— We’re still analyzing them. Not all team rosters are publicly available yet. What we can say for sure is that the Uzbekistan and Kuwait national teams are at an exceptionally high level. If we compare, they could compete with teams from the top league. It’s going to be very tough. They are the absolute leaders, the clear favorites—100%.
But Indonesia also has players with experience in the VHL and KHL. Malaysia and Iran are also preparing intensively. So, there won’t be any easy games. We’ll have to fight for every victory with everything we’ve got.
— Would you consider any placement other than first a failure?
— When you step onto the ice, you always want to take first place—there’s no point in aiming for anything less. The goal must be the highest possible result, with the highest possible expectations of ourselves. Right now, I’m not overthinking what would be considered a failure or a success. My task is to break down this big, important mission into smaller steps and tackle them one by one.
— Please say a few words to the fans whose support we’ll desperately need at the championship.
— Big-time hockey is returning to Armenia. The national team will be competing after a very long break. Without our fans in the stands, we have absolutely no chance. So, we’re looking forward to seeing everyone—whether you're new to hockey or already love the game. Come support your favorite athletes and cheer for your country!