In the 5 km section leading to Parz Lake, the final round of the Armenian Prime Minister's Cup schoolchildren's team steeplechase was held today, in which the teams of the schools that won the 1st places in the regional and Yerevan city rounds (only 11 teams, 5 boys and 2 girls) took part. This was reported by the KGS Ministry.
RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan, as well as Deputy Minister of Health Lena Nanushyan attended the event and awarded the winners.
The team of Areni secondary school of Vayots Dzor was awarded the title of winner, the team of Urtsadzor secondary school of Ararat marz took second place, and Kapani H. of Syunik marz finished the top three. The team of high school No. 9 named after Avetisyan. Among the boys, Vachagan Gasparyan won an individual prize, and among the girls, Mary Manukyan.
In 2026, a total of 3,290 students from 470 schools participated in the tournament (in 2025, 2,667 students from 381 schools).
Welcoming the attendees, KGSMS Minister Zhanna Andreasyan noted that even the weather conditions did not prevent them from fully enjoying the atmosphere of the day, which, according to her, was first of all an expression of the participants' will, persistence, strength, purposefulness and team spirit. The minister congratulated all the participants of the tournament, emphasizing that these important features were the most visible during the race today. According to him, the excitement and mood of the day should accompany the children to new victories and successes. Zhanna Andreasyan especially congratulated the teams that, as a result of persistent and consistent struggle, stood on the different levels of the honor platform, noting that this once again proves that persistent and continuous work always pays off.
"This is the result of daily effort; Almost all of you prepared on a daily basis, practiced and ran. This means that you have already formed a lifestyle that will accompany you throughout your life. And be sure, it is one of the most important investments in the quality of your life, health and active future," said Zhanna Andreasyan, addressing the participating schoolchildren.
Referring to the inclusion of the tournament, Zhanna Andreasyan emphasized the continuous growth of the participating schools. According to him, the opportunity to engage in running is available everywhere, and only a desire is needed for it. The minister noted that he is happy to see the determination and consistency of the participants and expressed hope that their example will inspire other schools to participate in the tournament.
According to Zhanna Andreasyan, the initiative is not only a sports tournament, but also an opportunity to make new friends, communicate with each other and spend time in the beautiful nature of Armenia, Parz Lake. In his speech, the minister also wished all the participants a pleasant summer vacation, expressing hope that they will use that period not only for rest, but also for self-education, acquiring new knowledge and continuing a physically active life, starting the new school year with new strength and new enthusiasm.
Zhanna Andreasyan also expressed special thanks to the teachers, emphasizing that their consistent and dedicated work contributed greatly to the children's results.
In the final stage, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place schools, physical education teachers, and participating schoolchildren were awarded certificates, cups, medals, and cash prizes of the appropriate order from the Ministry. The 1st place school was awarded 4,000,000 AMD, the 2nd place - 2,500,000 AMD and the 3rd place - 1,500,000 AMD. The award money is intended for the purpose of improving the school's sports infrastructure or purchasing sports property.
The physical education teachers of the winning teams were also awarded: 1st place - 700,000 AMD, 2nd place - 500,000 AMD and 3rd place - 300,000 AMD. The students of the prize-winning teams were awarded with cash prizes. 1st place: 150,000 AMD each, 2nd place: 100,000 AMD each, 3rd place: 75,000 AMD each.
