This wrestler had to compete in an enemy country

Armenia’s Migran Arutyunyan had to put up with chants of ‘Russia, Russia’ from 7,000 Azeri spectators in his final against Russia’s Artem Surkov. Photo: AFP

Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler Migran Arutyunyan claimed the hostile Azerbaijan crowd influenced the judges and cost him a gold medal at the European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan recently.

The 26-year-old – one of a group of more than 20 Armenian athletes who came to the Games despite it being hosted by their bitter enemies – applauded the judges sarcastically after losing narrowly to Russian Artem Surkov in the 66kg category.