Students of the Karabakh sports club have lost their training facilities in Yerevan.

More than 70 students of the Karabakh Kyokushin Karate Club "Return" lost their training space at the Yerevan school where they had been training for two years. Due to the break in training, the young athletes were unable to participate in competitions sponsored by the National Karate Federation of Armenia.

The Kyokushin Karate Club operated in Nagorno-Karabakh for children and adolescents until the mass exodus of the Armenian population from the region. The club's director and coach, reserve officer Armen Petrosyan, registered the "Kyokushin Karate Club "Return"" public organization in Armenia and resumed training with its students in Yerevan on November 20, 2023. The club comprises more than 70 children and adolescents from Nagorno-Karabakh, and training was held in the gym of Yerevan School No. 17.

On November 3, 2025, Armen Petrosyan reported on his social media page that the school administration was refusing to provide the club with the gymnasium where they had been training for almost two years. "The school administration forbade us from continuing training in the gym, telling us that the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Armenia considers the activities of the only Artsakh sports club inappropriate," Petrosyan told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The "Return" Kyokushin Karate Club is the only Karabakh club that has survived as an independent sports organization, confirmed an employee of the Nagorno-Karabakh representative office in Yerevan. The remaining martial arts clubs have been affiliated with various Armenian sports federations since 2023.

Due to the lack of a gym, the club was forced to conduct training sessions in an open stadium, reducing class hours. According to Armen Petrosyan, due to the lack of full-fledged training over the past month, he did not submit a team of his students for participation in the competition organized by the National Karate Federation of Armenia, which took place in Yerevan recently.

According to Petrosyan, conversations with the school administration and representatives of the Armenian Ministry of Education left him with the strong impression that the refusal was motivated by the club's origins and positioning: "the club is Artsakh-based and is attended by Artsakh children." "I didn't ask for a salary. We acquired training facilities with the support of like-minded people. The children train and attend events free of charge," the coach emphasized.

Over the past month, while training sessions with the children were held in the school courtyard, Armen Petrosyan met regularly with representatives of the Ministry of Education. "I told them it was their fault the children were on the street and that they needed to resolve the issue. Ultimately, the ministry acknowledged the problem and began considering solutions. Starting November 26, I will resume training with the children in the gym of School No. 17 in Yerevan, that is, at the same location. Of course, there were offers from local oligarchs, but I declined, as I believe government support is more stable," Petrosyan said.

According to him, in the two years of the club's existence, 11 students have become Armenian champions, nine have won the Armenian Cup, and six have attended international championships and won prizes. .

The administration of School No. 17 declined to comment on the situation with the "Vozrozhdenie" club. The Armenian Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that they are "aware of the situation, the issue is being discussed, and possible solutions are being explored."

On November 21, students of the "Vozrozhdenie" Kyokushin Karate Club, along with their coach, demonstrated their martial arts skills at the opening of the Lion Heart Martial Arts Academy, created with the support of the Tashir Group to train world-class athletes.