KOE and OPAP support the Olympic team 

The Cyprus Olympic committee and Opap are supporting the Cyprus Olympic team, holding a recent event to wish them well.

During the ceremony at the Olympic building the 15 athletes expressed their confidence in competing at the Olympic Games. The Cyprus flag was handed over to the athletes by president of the Cyprus Olympic committee George Chrysostomou and the president of the European Olympic committees Spyros Kapralos.

The ceremony was the first to take place in the outdoor area of the Olympic building since it opened in September 2006. It was also the first major gathering at the ‘House of Sports’ since the lifting of restrictive measures.

“Under the circumstances and in compliance with safety measures, the ceremony also represents the potent resumption of sports,” said Koe president in his welcoming speech. He emphasised that “our optimism derives from the talent, will and persistence of our athletes, whom we assure our priority lies in supporting their excellent endeavour.”

In his speech, Chrysostomou guaranteed that teamwork, honesty as well as clear intentions and actions are of top priority for Koe’s new executive board. He also assured the athletes that their support will always remain constant and unwavering.

The president of Koe thanked Opap in particular, which over time has been a strong and consistent ally of the Olympic committee, sports and our society.

Opap CEO Dimitris Aletraris expressed his admiration for “our top athletes who currently make up the Olympic team and of course, to our young athletes who we expect to take part in the future!” he said. He added, “As Opap Cyprus, despite the upheavals that we also experienced, we have put into action our support for health and all other aspects of life in our country to contribute to dealing with difficulties and the smooth transition into normalcy. In this collective effort, sport has had and still has a beneficial role. Let the values of solidarity and respect, as promoted by the Olympics, be the messages we maintain to look forward to triumph during the difficult struggles of our country and, of course, to the success of our athletes in the Olympic Games!”

Education Minister Prodromos Prodromou voiced the country’s support for the Cyprus Olympic committee and Olympic team. He said he was confident the athletes will honour Cyprus in Tokyo.

Kapralos wished the Cypriot team luck in the Olympic Games.Olympic Team 

The athletes taking part in the Olympic Games in Tokyo from July 23 to August 8 are: Apostolos Parellis, Milan Traikovic and Eleni Artymata in track and field. Pavlos Kontidis, Andreas Kariolou, Marilena Makri and Natasa Lappa in sailing. Yiorgos Achilleos, Dimitris Konstantinou, Andreas Makris and Andri Eleftheriou in shooting. Kalia Antoniou and Nikolas Antoniou in swimming. Marios Georgiou in artistic gymnastics. Andri Christoforou in cycling.

Sailor Andreas Kariolou was honoured at the ceremony for taking part in five Olympic Games.

Yiorgos Achilleos and Marilena Makri were given the Glafkos Clerides award which is given each year to the best athlete of the year. This award is named in honour of the late former president of Cyprus.

Top young athletes 

The ceremony for top young athletes was dedicated to the late Ouranios Ioannides, former president of Koe from 2008 to 2016.

The awards given to the young athletes were:

The Pefkios Georgiadis was given to the athlete who was top in her class and in competitions, Kleio Maria Ioannou (tennis).

The Marianna Zachariadi award was given to the top young track and field athlete, Styliana Ioannidou (high jump).

The Antonis Papadopoulos award was given to the top track and field athlete Grigoris Nikolaou (long jump and triple jump.)

Beach volleyball athlete Daria Gusarova was named the top athlete in a team sport.

The football player of both Omonia and the national team of Cyprus, Loizos Loizou was named the top athlete in a team sport.

Sailor Marilena Makri was named the top young athlete in individual sports.

Track and field champion Grigoris Nikolaou was named the top teenage athlete in individual sports.