Cyprus’ top athletes for 2007 were honoured during an award-giving ceremony organized Monday night by the Cyprus Sportswriters Union.
Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos, House of Representatives President Demetris Christofias, political party leaders, Ministers, MPs, President of Cyprus Sport Organisation Titos Christofides and other sports officials attended the ceremony at a Nicosia hotel.
The five best men and five best women athletes and the three best teams of the year who received the awards were:
Men’s category: 1. George Achilleos (shooting), 2. Kyriakos Ioannou (track and field), 3. Marcos Baghdatis (tennis), 4. Pavlos Kontides (sailing), 5. Antonis Nicolaides (shooting).
Women’s category: 1. Eleni Artimata (track and field), 2. Anna Stylianou (swimming), 3. Alisa Kallinikou (track and field), 4. Louiza Theophanous (shooting) 5. Alexandra Tsisou (track and field).
Category of teams: 1. National men’s team in football, 2. AEL men’s basketball team, 3. AEK women’s volleyball team.
Awards were also given to former volleyball, basketball and handball player Yiannoula Orphanou, former football player, track athlete, gymnastics teacher and member of CSO Board of Administration Andreas Stylianou for their contribution to sports while Cyprus Shooting Federation and Paraolympics champion Karolina Pelendritou were also given prizes.
Special awards were given to George Nicolaou of Nea Salamina football club for donating bone marrow for a patient, Yiannakis Okkas, the leader of Cyprus Men’s national football team, Anna Demetriou (Taekvonto), Loukia Trikomitou (Rythmic Gymnastics) and Tasos Hapesis (shooting).
Honourary awards were given to football players brothers Andreas, Tasos, Charis and Chambis Konstantinou, Nicos Ionides (veteran football player), Simos Loizides (veteran sports official), and the Special Olympics Federation.
The “golden ball†was awarded to Omonia, a Nicosia football club, for the best offensive of the 2006-2007 Cyprus League season, while Anorthosis, a refugee football club from the Turkish-occupied town of Famagusta, were awarded for the best defence during the same season. The “golden shoe†was awarded to the first scorer of the League, Estevan Solari, the striker of Champions APOEL club of Nicosia.
In his address, Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos said that praises and applauses belong to those who every day exercise hard at stadiums and enjoy distinctions and successes.
He noted that the state has the main responsibility to support their efforts in practice, noting that the Cyprus government is aiming at forming the right framework and creating favourable conditions for changing mentalities and behaviours which divert Cyprus’ athletics from their goals and destination.
On his part House President Demetris Christofias noted in his address the need to raise the state subsidy for sports.
He said that through this annual award-giving ceremony for the country’s top athletes, their performance, distinction and contribution to sports are being rewarded.
