Cyprus will take part in the 19th Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE) with a delegation of 187 athletes, aiming to achieve the best possible results but also to promote the Olympic values.
The Cypriot delegation, which is comprised of about 300 persons, will depart for Valetta next Sunday and is considered the largest-ever to take part in an sports event abroad. The GSSE will be held in Valetta, Malta between May 28 and 3 June.
Speaking during a press conference George Chrysostomou, president of the Cyprus Olympic Committee (COE), said that ‘the aim is not the top spot in the Games but for our athletes to promote the Olympic values and principles both in and out of the track.’
‘If they do so I am sure results will follow,’ he added.
Chrysostomou said that the COE executive board wanted to provide athletes which equal opportunities for all disciplines, recalling that in the previous Mediterranean Games Cyprus secured medals in disciplines which were included in the games for the first time.
‘We did the same for the GSSE, giving opportunities to all athletes in all disciplines,’ he said pointing out that Cyprus will participate in the rugby which is introduced in the GSSE for the first time.
According to Alexandros Christoforou, the head of Cypriot team, said Cyprus will take part in 122 of the GSSE’s total 125 disciplines.
He said that 6 athletes will participate in tennis, 7 in table tennis, 24 in 5X5 basketball, 8 in 3X3 basketball, 17 in swimming, 31 athletes in sailing, 12 in Rugby 7S, 46 in track and field, 14 in shooting, 7 in Squash and 16 in Judo.
Christoforou said this delegation is the largest ever, noting that the athletes have been selected based on their ability to secure a medal irrespective of colour.
The Cypriot team’s chief said there is hope that Cyprus owing to its large delegation and the quality of its athletes could overcome two unknown factors, namely the large number of swimming disciplines and sport naturalisations, and secure the top spot in the medals list.
‘This is not an end in itself, our aim is to secure out targets as much as possible but also to give opportunities to our athletes,’ he said.
The participating countries are Malta, Cyprus. Luxemburg, Iceland, Montenegro, Monaco, Sam Marino, Andorra and Lichtenstein.
Source: Cyprus News Agency