Hamlet Mkhitaryan’s Life and Career: Part 5

This is the final part of Mediamax Sport’s project about Hamlet Mkhitaryan. You can read the first, second, third and fourth parts here.

When we were working over the series of articles about Hamlet Mkhitaryan, our interviewees were pleased to tell not only about their friend, but also his son Henrikh.

So, Mediamax Sport decided to present the similarities and differences of Hamlet and Henrikh Mkhitaryans in a separate article.
 
Henrikh has seen his father’s success on the field and has dreamed of pursuing his path since very childhood. The father bought the first football boots and sports uniform when Henrikh was 3. Hamlet Mkhitaryan’s wife, Marina Tashchyan, says that little Henrikh put on the boots and played football at home all day long.

“Hamlet often took Henrikh to trainings but every time he used to say it was the last time as he couldn’t properly train himself because of Henrikh - everybody gave up what they did and started playing with the child”, recalls Marina Tashchyan.


Marina Tashchyan
Photo: Mediamax

But Henrikh very well knew the hours of the father’s trainings and every day he was waiting for him by the door. If mother managed to distract his attention and father went to train without him, Henrikh would cry and sulk the whole day. “I would like Hamlet to be alive and enjoy his son’s success in football”, Marina Tashchyan says.

Now the surname of “Mkhitaryan” turned into a “football” one owing to his son whose hard work and persistence helped him achieve big success, and he’s still improving his football skills. It rarely happens especially in Armenia when a father and son make such success in football.


Henrich Mkhitaryan
Photo: Mediamax.

Marina Tashchyan thinks Hamlet and Henrikh have much in common with their self-discipline and serious approach to work.

“Hamlet would sacrifice many things for the sake of football, so would Henrikh. They also look alike and are built alike. When Henrikh walks in the apartment, sometimes it seems to me it’s Hamlet. He even sleeps like his father. But Henrikh is calmer whereas Hamlet was very active and restless - couldn’t sit in the same place for a long time”.



Teammates congratulate Hamlet Mkhitaryan on scored goal
Photo: from Samvel Poghosyan’s archive

According to Ararat goalkeeper Alexander Podshivalov, as a rule, sons play worse than their father footballers but Henrikh is gradually passing ahead of his father.

“At first, I didn’t know Hamlet’s son is a football player. When I first heard about Mkhitaryan playing in Shakhtar FC I at once got interested in this guy. I read one of Henrikh’s interview where he talked about his father and understood he was Hamlet’s son”, Podshivalov says.


Yerevan Ararat FC in 1987
Photo: from Marina Tashchyan’s archive

Podshivalov notes that Hamlet and Henrikh Mkhitaryans look very much alike but Hamlet was faster on the field while Henrikh demonstrates better technique. “I’m very happy for Henrikh and want him to achieve big success both in his team and in Armenian national football team. I’m sure Hamlet is happy for his son in the heaven”, says Alexander Podshivalov.


Video is provided by M. Tashchyan for Sport.Mediamax.am

Another Ararat football player, Babken Melikyan, often mixes up Henrikh with Hamlet when he watches Armenian national team’s or Borussia Dortmund’s matches.

“I watch the match and say - oh, how well Hamo plays -and then I figure out it’s not Hamo but Henrikh. He resembles to his father with physique and facial features and how he runs on the field. As Henrikh is Hamlet’s son, we watch the matches where he plays with special interest. Henrikh does his best for us not to ever forget his father”, admits Babken Melikyan.


Hamlet Mkhitaryan
Photo: from Marina Tashchyan’s archive

Suren Dovlatyan is Hamlet Mkhitaryan’s and his family friend - he thinks Hamlet and Henrikh are alike with their diligence, patriotism and communicability.

“Hamlet was a real “moth”. He was restless and always in motion. When I took him to our house in Ijevan during summer vacations, he ran all day long and played around. He didn’t get tired, his energy was limitless. Henrikh is calmer and more level-headed. He doesn’t have even 50% activity of his father. Now when I go to Ijevan, children who used to play with Hamlet ask about Henrikh”, Dovlatyan says.


Hamlet Mkhitaryan
Photo: from Marina Tashchyan’s archive

“As a rule, football players send their sons to football schools but only Hamlet’s son became a footballer of such a high class. I am very happy about it”, Albert Sargsyan, another Ararat player and Hamlet Mkhitaryan’s friend, says.

According to Sargsyan, owing to Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s good performance, Hamlet Mkhitaryan is reborn and keeps living in people’s memories.


Hamlet Mkhitaryan with his son
Photo: from Marina Tashchyan’s archive

Samvel Poghosyan, another Ararat player and one of Mkhitaryan’s closest friends, confirms the similarity between Hamlet and Henrikh. However, he says that they also differ - the son is keen on football most of all while his father managed to do other things. “All football players dream that their sons will continue playing football. Hamlet was no exception. It’s a pity he didn’t see his son’s success”, Samvel Poghosyan said.

Instead of epilogue: Hamlet Mkhitaryan’s quotes

To follow up the special project, we present quotes from various interviews with Hamlet Mkhitaryan.

“Attacks are my passion. I see the whole meaning and attractiveness of competition in football in it and goal is the adornment of the match”.



Hamlet Mkhitaryan
Photo: from Marina Tashchyan’s archive

“There is no secret in scoring a goal. One should just first of all assess the situation properly, that is - feel the convenient moment and choose the right place”.

“A forward should constantly score from various positions. To this end, I stay on the field after trainings and improve the technique of my kicks”.

“When I see there are few fans in the stadium, I do not want to play”.

Hasmik Babayan
Gohar Nalbandian

Idea of the project: Ara Tadevosyan

English translation by Sirvard Amatuni