The Cyprus Olympic News

The president of the Polish Olympic Committee Mr. Andrzej Kraśnicki (above-right), accompanied by international affairs officer Mrs. Iwona Lotysz, visited Cyprus on March 28th with the purpose to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Cyprus Olympic Committee. The signing ceremony took place at the Olympic House in the capital Nicosia, with presidents Kraśnicki and Dinos Michaelides (above-left) putting their signature to paper.

The MoU covers various matters, such as exchange of athletes and other Olympic specialists, encourages the participation in sporting events in both countries, promotes cooperation on various topics regarding Olympism and common organization of seminars and other events.

The two presidents, accompanied by the ambassador of Poland to Cyprus, Mrs. Irena Lichnerowicz-Augustyn, also visited the Minister of Education and Sports of the Republic of Cyprus Mr. Kostas Chambiaouris (pictured below).

CYPRIOT SUCCESS ABROAD

Artistic Gymnastics: Bronze for Georgiou!

Following his excellent results in 2018, Marios Georgiou once again wrote history for Cyprus. At the European Gymnastics Championship in Poland in April, the gymnast won Cyprus’ first ever medal in the continental championship, a bronze in the All-Around. With 84.398 points, he finished behind the Russian duo Nikita Nagornyy (88.665) and Artur Dalaloyan (87.832).

Skeet Shooting: Olympic quota for Eleftheriou

Two-time Olympian Andri Eleftheriou won bronze at the ISSF Al Ain World Cup in April, which also gave her an Olympic quota for Tokyo 2020. After competing in Beijing in 2008, where Eleftheriou’s 7th position is the best ever placing from a Cypriot woman in the Olympics, and in Rio 2016, Andri will now have a third shot at writing Olympic history. The shooting quota is the second qualification for Cyprus at the Olympics, following sailor Pavlos Kontides’ quota last year. The Mediterranean island is expected to eventually field around fifteen to twenty athletes in the upcoming Olympics.

Laser Sailing: World Cup Silver for Kontides

Laser sailor Pavlos Kontides won silver in April 2019 at the Sailing World Cup in Genoa, Italy, adding another medal to his impressive tally. The Cypriot Olympian and two-time reigning World Champion went into the medal race with a six-point lead over Jonatan Vandai from Hungary, but eventually finished 2nd.

UPCOMING GAMES

2019 Games of the Small States of Europe

Cyprus will field a complete team of 141 athletes (73 male, 68 female) at the 18th Games of the Small States of Europe which will take place in Montenegro between 27 May and 1 June 2019. The Mediterranean island will compete in basketball, volleyball, beach volleyball, athletics, judo, shooting, swimming, table tennis and tennis. The coastal town of Budva will host the Games Village and most of the sports. The Balkan country will host the bi-annual GSSE for the first time, after making its debut in the Games in 2011. The other seven participating European countries, with a population of less than a million, are Iceland, Luxembourg, Malta, San Marino, Andorra, Monaco and Liechtenstein.

2019 European Games

A delegation of 37 athletes (21 male, 16 female) in nine sports will represent Cyprus at the 2nd European Games which will take place in Minsk, Belarus between 21-30 June 2019. 21 Cypriots will compete in Athletics, six in shotgun shooting, four in road cycling and one athlete in archery, badminton, boxing, gymnastics, judo and sambo. In "Baku 2015" Cyprus took home just one silver, in mixed skeet shooting with George Achilleos and Andri Eleftheriou (pictured).

Adopt a Cypriot athlete!

Thirty-two elite Cypriot athletes who are training for the 2020 Olympic Games have been included in the newly launched sponsorship program of the Cyprus Olympic Committee, dubbed "Adopt an athlete". Taking inspiration from the successful program of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, the Cyprus NOC has started the search for companies, organizations and individuals to support the elite athletes, assisting them in their preparation for the Olympics. Despite being in the early stages of the program, the Cyprus NOC has already secured the support from the Government as well as various companies in Cyprus and the large Cypriot diaspora around the world.

World class athletes such as Milan Trajkovic, George Achilleos, Andri Eleftheriou, Marcos Baghdatis, Marios Georgiou, Eleni Artymata, Apostolos Parellis and others are all included in the program.

More info on the program, can be requested via email by Mrs. Andri Sialou at cypnoc.andri@olympic.org.cy.

Cypriot delegation at Lausanne

The VP of the Athletes Committee of the Cyprus NOC, Christopher Papamichalopoulos, represented the country at the World Forum of Athlete Committees which took place in Lausanne between 15-17 April. The Cyprus Union of Participants in the Olympic Games was represented at the World Olympians Forum by Demetris Araouzos and Sophia Papamichalopoulou.

Partner at the EOC EU Office

Following the signing of the agreement between the EOC president Mr. Janez Kocijančič and the Cyprus NOC president Mr. Dinos Michaelides, the island’s NOC has officially been named a partner of the European Olympic Committee (EOC) European Union office. The EOC EU Office is the representation of the European Olympic Committees and other major sport organizations to the EU.

Manfred Laemmer visited Cyprus

The newly elected president of the recently established European Olympic Academies Dr. Manfred Laemmer visited Cyprus between April 8-10 with the purpose of holding discussions with the leadership of the Cyprus NOC and Olympic Academy regarding the November 2019 General Assembly and Conference which will take place in Nicosia, Cyprus. Dr. Laemmer met with NOC and NOA president Mr. Dinos Michaelides, NOC secretary general General Charalambos Lottas, treasurer Mr. Damianos Hadjidamianou and general director Mrs. Olga Piperidou.

As a service to our readers, Around the Rings will provide verbatim texts of selected press releases issued by Olympic-related organizations, federations, businesses and sponsors.

These press releases appear to be around the rings and are not edited for spelling, grammar or punctuation.

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