Nicosia: Cyprus will take part in the 20th Mediterranean Games to be held in Taranto, Italy, from August 21 to September 3 with 145 athletes in 24 sports. A press conference was held on Wednesday in Nicosia, during which the Cyprus delegation was presented. Head of the Cyprus Olympic Committee, George Chrysostomou, expressed his optimism that Cyprus will have another successful presence, following the recent medals at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
According to Cyprus News Agency, these successes are a proof that Cyprus sports can have great distinctions in major international events. Chrysostomou described the Mediterranean Games as one of the most important multi-sport events on the international sports calendar, noting that Cyprus' participation is not only a competitive challenge but also an opportunity to showcase the level of Cypriot sports and values such as ethics, consistency, respect, and fair play.
A total of 145 athletes, who will compete in 24 sports representing 22 sports federations, will take part in the games. The Cyprus delegation consists of 234 persons in total, including coaches, medical staff, and members of the press. Chrysostomou also pointed out that the delegation includes 13 of the 15 athletes who represented Cyprus in the Paris Olympic Games.
The Deputy Ambassador of Italy to Cyprus, Chiara Ratzenberger, stated that the Mediterranean Games are more than just a sporting competition, adding that they were launched in 1951 in the aftermath of World War II as a moment where the world had to rebuild itself not only from an infrastructure point of view but also from a social diplomacy point of view. She added that the motto of this year's Games is "Embrace the Future," and the 26 countries competing in Taranto this year will also bring their cultures together.
The Ambassador also noted that Taranto was founded in the 8th century by Greece as a Greek colony and was one of the state cities of the Magna Grecia. The region where Taranto is now, called Apulia, is a wonderful region where an old version of Greek, Griko, is still spoken in many towns.
The Deputy Ambassador said that Cyprus will arrive in Taranto this year with every reason to be proud, as in the last edition, its athletes reached an incredible success, winning 14 medals across a remarkable variety of disciplines. Head of Mission at the Games, Andreas Theofylaktou, commented that this is a very large mission and therefore a very great responsibility. He noted that this year's event presents a significant organizational peculiarity, as the majority of the missions will be hosted on ships docked at the Taranto naval base.
"This peculiarity has significantly influenced our planning, without, however, changing our main goal, which is none other than the creation of the best possible conditions for all our athletes," Theofylaktou said. Speaking on behalf of the athletes, the gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games, Yiannis Antoniou, stressed that all athletes will give their best to achieve the best possible result. On behalf of Cyprus Sports Organization, Costas Solomou said that the organization is currently supporting over 100 athletes in the two high-performance and young champions programs.