Greek Olympic Committee Elects Capralos President

Spyro Capralos, chairman of the Athens stock exchange, has been chosen as president of the Hellenic Olympic Committee. (ATR)

Newly-elected Hellenic Olympic Committee President Spyro Capralos, a key Athens 2004 Games organizer, says Greek sport can lead itself out of its recent crisis with a team effort. There had been escalating controversy in the weeks leading up to the HOC election.

Claims were made that powerbrokers within the Greek government were pressuring national federations with threats to their funding if they did not support the government’s preferred candidate.

Capralos, the chairman of the Athens stock exchange, defeated incumbent Minoas Kyriakou 18-11. Casting votes in the election were representatives of 28 sporting federations, as well as Lambis Nikolaou, the IOC representative on the HOC.

“I wish to thank you for the honor you bestowed on me in electing me president of the Greek Olympic Committee,” Capralos said immediately following announcement of the result.

“Honoring your trust, I would like to reassure you that I will try with all my strength to live up to this high post of sport."

He called on the Greek sporting community to work together “with consensus and unanimity, pushing aside whatever differences of the past, far from party blinkers and political expediencies” to enable the HOC to realize its potential.

“Our mission is difficult. Greek Sport has been experiencing a crisis over the past years. I believe, however, that with methodical and collective work we shall be led to the positive results that we are all seeking."

Capralos served as executive of Athens Games organizer ATHOC, rising to the post of managing director. The year prior to the Games Capralos assumed the role of Olympic Games general secretary in the Greek Ministry of Culture, effectively heading up the government side of Olympics planning.

Outgoing President Kyriakou, who had been outspoken before the ballot over what he described as “unimaginable events” and “dirty games," congratulated Capralos.

“I do not wish to make any comment on the result. I want to wish every success to Mr. Kapralos,” Kyriakaou said.

“In life there is victory and defeat. I experienced both the one and the other. I am looking ahead. Greek sport is living and will live whether it is Kyriakou or anybody else.

“I am leaving satisfied with Defeated President Minoas Kyriakou congratulated Spyro Capralos on his election. Previously, Kyriakou had been outspoken about possible dirty politics. (ATR)a very good tenure, from an Olympic committee that also has a dowry at this moment. Almost 9 million [euros]. When I took over, I found 126,000 euros. I wish all the best to all.”

Asked what he will remember most from his four-year reign as president, Kyriakou replied: “Many things, but I must say that Greece was also saved from many situations in Beijing. I serve my country and not policies.”

He did not elaborate.

That candidate had initially been HOC Vice President Isidoros Kouvelos, husband of Greek foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis. Within a fortnight of the ballot, Kouvelos had made way for the candidacy of Capralos.

In a statement issued last week and titled “Dirty games are played by the government," Kyriakou refers Hellenic Equestrian Federation President Isidoros Kouvelos was the initial opposition candidate for president. (Hellenic Equestrian Federation)to “dirty games organized by particular centers, which exert various methods [of pressure] in order to influence the final outcome of the elections and to elect the favorite son of a minister.

“All the shame is theirs. I do not believe that the state should not have a say on athletics, in any case it provides the funding,” Kyriakou is quoted as saying in the statement.

“But for me it is a shame to intervene by using political means in order to control a federation.”

Controversy around the election continued into the final week of the campaign. Greek police were called in to investigate the discovery of an object, believed to be a covert listening device, in the Athens office of Kyriakou.

Attica regional police released a statement saying that late on Feb. 5, they were informed of the existence of a suspicious object similar to a microphone for monitoring conversations.

“The police were requested to investigate the incident. The object was collected and was forwarded for further examination, the result of which is still pending,” the police statement said.

Written by

Anthony Stavrinos

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