Ararad Sports Association ( ar, جمعية ارارات الرياضيه; hyw, Արարատ Մարզական Միութիւն; hy, Արարատ Մարզական Միություն) is a Lebanese-Armenian sports and cultural organization. Established in 1969, the club is considered a continuation of the Lebanese-Armenian club Pagramian.Messerlian, Zaven. ''Armenian Participation in the Lebanese Legislative Elections 1934-2009''. Beirut: Haigazian University Press, 2014. pp. 28, 138, 153-154 Although the club has sympathizers from various circles, it is regarded as an association with

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in so ...

leanings.

History

After Pagramian had been closed by the

Lebanese government Lebanon is a parliamentary democratic republic within the overall framework of confessionalism, a form of consociationalism in which the highest offices are proportionately reserved for representatives from certain religious communities. The ...

in 1960 for its affiliation with the

Lebanese Communist Party The Lebanese Communist Party (LCP), abbr. PCL is a communist party in Lebanon. It was founded in 1924 by the Lebanese intellectual, writer and reporter Yusuf Yazbek and Fu'ad al-Shamali, a tobacco worker from Bikfaya. History Creation The ...

, Ararad Sports Association was set up to fill the void in 1969. In 1976, at the height of the

Lebanese Civil War The Lebanese Civil War ( ar, الحرب الأهلية اللبنانية, translit=Al-Ḥarb al-Ahliyyah al-Libnāniyyah) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities a ...

, the extreme right-wing Phalangist Party (Kataeb) militia confiscated the locale of the association for its political leanings; this put a halt to the club's activities. The president of the association, Simon Kazandjian, was martyred along with a relative, Kevork Kazandjian. With the establishment of more peaceful conditions in Lebanon, Ararad Sports Association regrouped in 1988 forming a new administrative committee. The club also launched their football team that played in

Lebanese Third Division The Lebanese Third Division ( ar, الدوري اللبناني الدرجة الثالثة) is the third division of Lebanese football, and is controlled by the Lebanese Football Association. The 24 teams are divided into four groups of seven ...

. In 1996, the club restored its right to repossess its confiscated locale after negotiations with the Phalangist party leaders. The club also found support from Lebanese Prime Minister

Rafic Hariri Rafic Bahaa El Deen Al Hariri ( ar, رفيق بهاء الدين الحريري; 1 November 1944 – 14 February 2005) was a Lebanese business tycoon and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from ...

, who also contributed funds allowing the club to purchase the locale. The opening ceremony event of the revamped club was also sponsored by Hariri himself. On 4 June 2009, Ararad formed their

chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...

division. On 21 June 2012, they disbanded their football team.

References

{{reflist 1969 establishments in Lebanon Sports clubs established in 1969 Association football clubs established in 1988 Association football clubs established in 2012 Armenian association football clubs outside Armenia Armenian football clubs in Lebanon Diaspora sports clubs Football clubs in Lebanon Phoenix clubs (association football)