Close Race at CSWC Armenia

The third edition of the Armenian Cigar Smoking World Championship qualifiers was one of the closest ones this season. This year the event was held at the luxurious Hotel Alexander in Yerevan instead of at the Amanoo Luxury Residential Complex, and the conditions were ideal for the matter at hand.

“The luxurious surroundings, paired with impeccable service, created the perfect setting for both competitors and guests to immerse themselves in the unique world of slow smoking,” CSWC founder Marko Bilic says.

This year’s participants didn’t quite reach the heights of the first Armenian champion. In 2023 David Ter Gulanyan smoked for 1 hour 52 minutes and 4 seconds in a remarkable debut, but the results of 2025 were still not bad. After 1 hour 31 minutes and 25 seconds Edgar Harutyunyan’s cigar went out, leaving him in third place. Just three minutes later Arman Arzumanyan had to call it quits, leaving Marat Yeghiazaryan alone with his cigar. Just 37 seconds later Yeghiazaryan was done for the night, making him the third Armenian champion after Ter Gulanyan and 2024’s winner, Tigran Gevorgyan.

In fact, the top three has been different each year, showing the width among the Armenian slow smokers, although they still have a bit to go before they can challenge world champion Hauke Walter and the others.

1. Marat Yeghiazaryan 1:35:22
2. Arman Arzumanyan 1:34:45
3. Edgar Harutyunyan 1: 31: 25