Sarkis Sarchayan

Soviet table tennis player

Sarkis Sarchayan

Full name| Sarkis Sarchayan
Nationality|  Soviet Union
Born| (1947-11-26)26 November 1947
Batumi, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union
Died| 24 January 2021(2021-01-24) (aged 73)
Height| 174 cm (5 ft 9 in)

Table tennis career

Playing style| Left-handed, shakehand grip
Highest ranking| 5 (1973)[1]

Medal record

Men's table tennis
Representing  Soviet Union
| Event  | 1st | 2nd | 3rd

|
|
|

World Championships | 0  | 1  | 1
European Championships | 0  | 3  | 5
Europe Top 16 | 0  | 0  | 1
Total  | 0  | 4  | 7
Representing  Soviet Union
table tennis
World Table Tennis Championships
| 1975 Calcutta | Mixed Doubles
| 1973 Sarajevo | Team
European Championships
| 1970 Moscow | Team
| 1968 Lyon | Team
| 1966 London | Team
| 1978 Duisburg | Mixed Doubles
| 1978 Duisburg | Team
| 1976 Prague | Team
| 1974 Novi Sad | Doubles
| 1970 Moscow | Team
Europe Top 16
| 1976 Lübeck | Singles
European Youth Championships
| 1965 Prague | Team
| 1965 Prague | Singles

Sarkis Asatovich Sarchayan (Russian: Саркис Азатович Сархаян; 26 November 1947 - 21 January 2021), was a male former international table tennis player from Soviet Union.[2] At his peak, he was ranked 7th in the World Rankings.

## Career

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### Junior career

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In his childhood, Sarchayan played football and he began playing table tennis at the age of 11 in Batumi.[3] In 1965, he was a part of the Soviet team that won the team event of the European Youth Championships in Prague.[4] A year later in Kaunas, he won his first gold medal at the Soviet National Championships, winning the doubles event.

### International career

[edit]

In 1966, Sarchayan made his debut at the European Championships in London. He helped the Soviet team to win the silver medal in team event. Since this tournament, Sarchayan was a regular national team member until 1978.

Sarchayan did not lose a single game in the team event of the 1973 World Table Tennis Championships, helping the Soviet team to win bronze medals. The Soviets barely lost to the eventual champions, China team 4-5, but Sarchayan won all three of his games.[4] In the next edition of the World Championships, Sarchayan won a silver medal in the mixed doubles event with Elmira Antonyan, losing their compatriots Stanislav Gomozkov and Zoja Rudnova in the final.[5] [6]

Sarchayan played his last major tournament in 1978 in Duisburg, where the European Championships were held. He finished the tournament with two bronze medals on his account, in mixed doubles and team events.

Sarchayan participated in four  Europe Top 16 editions, his best being the 3rd place finish in 1976 tournament.[7]

### Accolades

[edit]

On the professional circuit, he won one singles and eight doubles titles in his career. Sarchayan retired as the most successful player in the Soviet Championships history with a total of 26 gold medals. Five of them, in singles event.[8]

## Death

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In 2021, Sarchayan died from coronavirus at the age of 77.[4]

## External links

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* Sarkis Sarchayan at Table Tennis Media
* Sarkis Sarchayan at Table Tennis Guide

## See also

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* List of table tennis players
* List of World Table Tennis Championships medalists

## References

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1. ^ "Table Tennis World Ranking In 1973". Table Tennis Media.
2. ^ "Sarkis Sarchayan Profile". Table Tennis Guide.
3. ^ "Батумский теннисист Саркис Сархаян золотыми буквами вошел в историю мирового спорта". Грузия Online.
4. ^ a b c "Памяти легендарного советского спортсмена Саркиса Сархаяна". def.kondopoga.ru.
5. ^ "Mixed Doubles results" (PDF). International Table Tennis Federation. Archived from the original on 2012-06-09.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
6. ^ "Table Tennis World Championship medal winners". Sports123.
7. ^ "1976 Europe Top 12 Results". Retrieved 10 March 2023.
8. ^ "Soviet National Table Tennis Championships". Retrieved 12 December 2022.