Cyprus and its athletes are well-prepared and hopeful this time
on the road to Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games, said the head of
the Cyprus Olympic Committee on Friday.
At a press conference titled "The Road to Beijing," Kikis
Lazarides, President of the Cyprus Olympic Committee, estimated
that 16 to 20 of its athletes would be able to compete in Beijing,
representing the small eastern Mediterranean island.
"We want to believe that the 2008 Olympic Games will be truly
special for Cyprus sport," said Lazarides. "We are optimistic that
in the Chinese capital we can make it."
No Cypriot athlete has managed to stand on the Olympic podium
since the island state's first participation in the Games of Moscow
in 1980.
In recent years, some Olympic hopefuls have appeared on the
island. George Achilleos, a skeet shooter, is currently the first
in the world ranking. High jumper Kyriakos Ioannou, secured a
bronze medal in the World Championship in Osaka, Japan. Markos
Baghdatis, a famous Cypriot tennis player, won the China Open in
2006.
"It is the first time we are being so optimistic. This is based
neither on exaggeration nor on arrogance, but on a realistic
consideration of the current situation," explained Lazarides.
Spanos Alekos, head of the Cyprus Olympic Delegation, told
Xinhua that so far 16 Cypriot athletes had secured tickets to the
Beijing Olympics, mainly in shooting, track and field and
tennis.
Cypriots hope they can obtain at least five more quotas in the
months to come.
Chinese Ambassador to Cyprus Zhao Yali told the press conference
that the Beijing Olympic Games are not only an event of great
significance to China itself, but also a grand celebration of peace
and friendship for all over the world.
"China and Cyprus maintain extensive and thorough cooperation in
the field of sports," he added. "It is our sincere hope that
Beijing can be a blessing for Cypriot athletes to make a
breakthrough in the forthcoming Olympic Games of Beijing,
particularly in shooting, tennis and high jumping."
(Xinhua News Agency October 13, 2007)