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In Memory of Greg Bekarian (1991 - 2013)
On February 11, the Toronto Armenian community lost one of its young members 21-year-old Greg Bekarian. Greg was a graduate of the ARS High School, a member of AYF and an active member in St Mary Armenian Church and the Armenian Community Centre. The following eulogy was read by his friend Arshak Hasratian during his funeral service on February 14, at St Mary Armenian Apostolic Church, Toronto. We have lost a great friend, a son, a brother, an uncle to be. Greg was the kindest person I knew. Always trying to make others happy regardless of how he was feeling. He would be having the worst day, but when he noticed I was feeling down he would forget about his worries, and literally do whatever he could to make me laugh. And it worked every time. He was a caring brother to his three sisters. He was a loving son and nephew. And the best friend any of us ever had. Whether you knew him for years or just met him once, he left a lasting impression on all of us. Family was always a priority for Greg. He always made sure to take care of his three sisters, whether it was taking them to school, helping with their homework, or just being there when they needed someone to talk to he was there for them, no matter what. Greg s personality was a reflection of both his mother and father. As their only son, he had a special relationship with his mother. From the way he interacted with those around him it was clear that he adopted his mother s loving and caring nature. Greg s hard-work, dedication and respectful attitude clearly portrayed his father s principles. He went in to work every day willingly, because it meant that he would spend another day with his father and uncle, who he was very close with. As for his friends, there are no words to describe the emptiness we feel. You have become a part of us all, and everywhere we go, we will be bringing you with us. You brought us closer together and made us into the family we have become today. You left us way too young, but we are lucky to have had you in our lives for 21 beautiful years. You ve given us countless memories and made our lives a much brighter place. Today is a dark day, but when we remember you all we can think of is light, happiness, laughter, and all the unforgettable memories we've had together. This isn t goodbye. We will see you again one day.
TORONTO ARMENIANS
Alecko Eskandarian Relishing New Role at New York Cosmos Armen Bedakian Alecko Eskandarian is making a name for himself all over again. When he was still a player for Toronto FC, Eskandarian was the talk of the town amongst young Armenian soccer fans. An MLS Cup winner and MVP in 2004, Eskandarian dominated in Major League Soccer North America s top soccer league in the seven years he played in it. He rose to prominence at D.C. United, before switching to Toronto FC in 2007. His career at Toronto FC, however, was short-lived. He was traded to Real Salt Lake in the same year. A recurring head injury forced him out of the game of soccer in 2010, and since then, Eskandarian has had various jobs at a technical level. His latest foray into the world of football post-playing days is as assistant coach of the newly formed New York Cosmos, a team that plays in the second division of soccer in North America called the North American Soccer League (NASL). TorontoHye had a chance to speak to Eskandarian, who was visiting Toronto for the Homenetmen Athletic Banquet. We asked him about his career, his injury and retirement, as well as about the numerous new Armenian athletes who are making their way to the top of the football world. Eskandarian s career was cut short after a serious concussion left him medically not cleared to play after the 2009 season. We asked Eskandarian to share his thoughts on hearing that news, and how it changed him: It s the toughest blow I ve ever had in my life, said Eskandarian. I went through a lot of depression at that time, and it s something that I live with every day and I still feel the symptoms every single day. There s not an hour that goes by that I m not reminded of my injuries because it s affected my life in every aspect. In some ways, it makes it a bit easier to accept that you can t play, because you know, playing isn t even what s on my mind, living a normal life is. Living a normal life for a soccer star includes travelling around the world, and Eskandarian was invited to the Homenetmen Athletic Banquet to act as special guest and presenter for Toronto s Armenian athletes. We asked how he heard about the banquet: It was really random, actually, said Eskandarian. I got contacted on Twitter from a fellow Armenian from Toronto, Karina, a singer. She told me the Homenetmen event was going on, and put me in touch with the organizers and we just traded a few emails back and forth where they asked me to be a special guest at this event and I was more than happy to accept and very honoured to be here. Part of the honour comes from being involved
Alecko Eskandarian
in Homenetmen himself. Eskandarian grew up in New Jersey, the son of former New York Cosmos and Iranian international Andranik Eskandarian. Alecko has fond memories of Homenetmen: Homenetmen is an Armenian sports organization that brings together all Armenian athletes, young and old, he said. It s something that I was part of as a kid growing up in New Jersey and the cool thing about it is that there s a Homenetmen chapter in every big city around the world. It basically allows Armenian athletes to come together to compete against each other and also to create networking and stay involved in the community. Armenians are a very tight-knit community that always support each other and stick together so this is a great way to stay in touch, he added. Sticking together comes with support, and somehow, Armenian athletes are always connected. The latest batch of news from the world of Armenian soccer centres around Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Yura Movsisyan. The former is in talks with several big clubs, with F.C. Barcelona supposedly the most interested in his signature; Chelsea and Manchester City in England are also keen on signing Mkhitaryan, who had an incredible UEFA Champions League campaign with Shakhtar Donetsk, a team in Ukraine. Movsisyan, on the other hand, has just completed a big move to one of Russia s biggest teams, Spartak Moscow, where he promptly scored three goals in his first game. Talking about the two, Eskandarian is proud that Armenian athletes have made a larger name for themselves as of late: As an Armenian, you re always looking for
other successful Armenians, no matter what it is, whether it s MMA, Hollywood or on the soccer field, said Eskandarian. I ve been very lucky that I ve been given that support while I was playing every stadium I ve been to that there s been an Armenian has either called out my name to say hello, or brought an Armenia flag to the game; we re all very supportive of one another and I feel that same pride whenever I see an Armenian athlete succeed. Between Mkhitaryan and Yura Movsisyan and all those guys, I love seeing how well they re doing and hope they continue to make waves, he added. With Yura, he had it tough with going to community college and things like that in order to get noticed, but eventually good players rise to the top and with his talent, there s no question that he was going to make it. For now, Eskandarian is enjoying his role as the assistant coach of the New York Cosmos. He is content knowing that he, alongside a great managerial staff, is overseeing the revival of his father s former team. The Cosmos may be an NASL outfit for now, but with Major League Soccer expanding to New York, will Eskandarian be a coach for a brand new outfit in North America s premier competition? We ll see! said Eskandarian, a smile on his face. That s something that we can t focus on too much. It s out of our hands. That s something for people way above me on the pay grade to decide. I know from the leadership on down, it s been made very clear to us that we re just worried about putting the best product on the field we can and making this the best franchise that we can make it.
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