IOC’s Rogge satisfied with level of sport in Cyprus

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge said Tuesday that sport in Cyprus is developing extremely well.

Rogge is visiting Cyprus as part of an IOC delegation and inaugurated the Olympic House together with President Tassos Papadopoulos, whom he met in the morning.

Rogge said he had a very good discussion with the President on the career of tennis player Marcos Baghdatis and other Cypriot athletes and Cyprus sport in general.

“We discussed the development of sport in your country and I expressed the view that the sport in Cyprus is developing extremely well”, he said.

The Olympic centre will host the offices of the Cyprus Olympic Committee and provide shelter to local sport federations.

Greek Olympic Committee President Lambis Nikolaou said he was very impressed with the building, which he described as an avant garde construction.

IOC Member Patrick Hickey said he was very proud to be here for the opening of this “magnificent house”, noting that “sport in Cyprus must be very proud of the magnificent job that (COC Chairman) Kikis Lazarides has done”.

Another IOC Member, Richard Carrion, said “this fantastic and magnificent house will contribute to the development of sports in this country”.

IOC Member Zheng Liang said “the President of the Republic of Cyprus has stressed the excellent relation between Cyprus and China and looks forward for his official visit to China”.

“I stressed he is most welcome as a highly respected guest of the Chinese people and I hope that his next visit to China will be a very – very successful one”, he said.