Head of the Cyprus mission to the Paris Olympic Games, Yiotis Ioannides, in an interview with CNA ahead of the Games which officially open on Friday, expressed the wish that the Cypriot athletes would achieve their goals for a well-earned representation noting at the same time that the participation of Cypriot athletes in some finals was a realistic goal.
Ioannidis urges the Cypriot athletes to compete without stress, and to try to give their best. He also said that Cyprus is participating for the 12th time in the Olympic Games, and has so far won one medal, a silver one won by sailor Pavlos Kontides in 2012 in London.
Cyprus is participating with 15 athletes in eight sports. Ioannides noted that this number is at the same level as in previous participations.
‘The most important thing for us is the participation in the top sports event itself’, Ioannides said.
The fact that there are athletes from eight different sports, which happened only once in Cyprus’ 11 previous participations, ‘can only be seen as
a positive’, he added.
Our goal, he added, ‘was on the way to and finally arriving at the Games, to ensure the best possible conditions for the preparation, transport and stay at the Olympic Village and in the other cities where the Games will be held, to give our athletes the possibility to be in the best condition and to compete under the best conditions’.
Ioannides said that for the Cypriot delegation, preparations for Paris begun from the first day that the Tokyo Olympics ended in 2021.
‘We also especially thank the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, who promptly approved an additional pound 350,000 grant for the preparation of our athletes’, he said.
He also noted that President Christodoulides, who is to attend the opening ceremony in Paris, is to also attend some sports events and visit the Olympic village to meet and talk with Cypriot athletes.
‘You realise how difficult it is to talk about winning a medal’, Ioannides said, expressing the belief, however, that as long as
Cypriot athletes are in the best possible condition, there are athletes in the team who could make it to the medals podium. Certainly, the presence in some finals “is a realistic goal”, he added.
Source: Cyprus News Agency