Rationale for the decision for the 2021 Award for Services to Sports of the C.C. of AKEL by the chairperson of the Award Committee Pambos Stylianou

 

6 December 2021, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

Comrade General Secretary of the Central Committee of AKEL, my friend Stefanos,

Our dear honored guests Loukas Kalogirou and Nikos Yatrou,

Dear families of the honored,

Comrade former General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL, Andros Kyprianou,

Dear Elsie Christofias,

Members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of AKEL,

Members of Parliament and Mayors,

President of the Cyprus Olympic Committee,

Representative of the President of the Cyprus Sports Organisation (KOA),

President and members of the GSP Board of Directors

President and members of the Board of Directors of the Confederation of Local Football Federations (CTCF)

Presidents and representatives of sports federations, bodies, clubs and associations.

Dear Friends,

On behalf of the “Kostas Lymbouris and Nikis Georgiou” Award Committee of the Central Committee of AKEL, I welcome you in turn to this 12th Award event.

 

LOUCAS KALOGIROU

The sporting performances and overall contribution of the sportsman Loucas Kalogirou cannot be accurately recorded in terms of both the magnitude and quality of this contribution. An entire life dedicated to sport and our country’s youth as an educator.

A natural talent, multi-talented and multi-champion in classical sports and in all team sports. Six decades on sports grounds, since his talent was spotted in high school by his mentors Andreas Hadjivassiliou and Palladio Nicolaou. As an athlete he was tremendous and unsurpassed, as a coach he nurtured athletic talents, and as an educator he was loved and cherished by his pupils, offering knowledge, love and warmth.

His career in sports and achievements speak for themselves. He was a protagonist and serial champion at Kykkos Gymnasium, a member of all the sports teams at the Athens Gymnastics Academy, a basketball player in a first national team in Greece, an athlete and later coach of the Pancyprian Gymnastics Club (GSP) in almost all levels of classical sports, a protagonist and leading decathlete for 10 years, an athlete and coach of basketball, volleyball and handball in almost all the clubs of Nicosia, also involved for a time in football, which was his great love. In fact, in 1967 he played with ‘Olympiacos’ football club of Nicosia in the Panhellenic League, marking and keeping the great footballer Sideris quite in a game against ‘Olympiacos’ of Piraeus, Greece.

A bold creator of new sections at many clubs he worked for. An endless passion for sport, a true lover of it.  He also flirted with shooting, where he achieved success, but then gave it up to become a fanatic hunter with his friend Palladio.

Loukas Kalogirou dedicated his entire life to sport, adopting an ethical stand and filled with dignity. He never sought promotion. He earned it through his achievements. He strongly dislikes talking about himself. A true example of fair play. That’s how he was as an educator for decades bring up pupils with character.

In 1968 at the Athens Gymnastics Academy he met fellow student Anastasia Papavassiliou, a ‘Panathinaikos’ club athlete, and in 1972 they got married creating a beautiful, athletic family. Their three sons were involved in sports and also became champions, proving the well-known saying that “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”.

RATIONALE FOR THE DECISION:

Loukas Kalogirou with his almost 60 years of a creative career and contribution honored himself and left a huge legacy to the sporting world and more broadly in our country’s education and society. He was a true ambassador of values, fair play and ethics.

By unanimous decision, the Committee of the “Kostas Lymbouris and Nikis Georgiou” Award for Services to Sports of the Central Committee of AKEL has awarded the 2021 Award to the extraordinary athlete, multi-champion, coach and teacher Loukas Kalogirou.

The Award Committee

 

NIKOS GIATROU

Nikos Yatrou is the personification of voluntary work. The definition of a selfless volunteer.  A whole life of endless, humble service. A true pioneer of sport, making a big contribution to the progress and development of countryside and women’s football.

Nikos Yatrou had a mountain to climb from an early age, having been lost his father at the age of three.  As he himself says, his mother was a saintly woman to whom he owes everything since she raised him by herself and his sister, who was just one year old. The problems he experienced formed his character and he managed to get what he wanted and sought from life. He became a teacher by profession, but in the beginning he suffered from the familiar cancer that has plagued the Republic of Cyprus since its inception. He was victimised for his political views for many years with discriminatory transfers from one post to another.

His relationship with sports began with his membership of the local club of the village, ‘Apollon’ of the village of Neo Horio. It was the first ‘love affair’ he developed which lasted for decades. Despite the fact that at the age of 24 he created his family in the neighbouring village of Mia Milia, where he played for the ‘Progress’ football team, he continued to play as a footballer and player for ‘Apollon’ Neo Horio

After he became a refugee after the 1974 Turkish army invasion and at the age of 35, his relationship with sports not only did not wane, but took the form of a dynamic football player. He got involved in women’s football, creating his second love affair with the newly formed women’s club ‘Lefkothea’ from Latsia in 1983. Since then, the club has remained active and been participating in the Cyprus Football Federation league (KOP) since 1998 after many years of women’s football being treated with disdain by the KOP leadership.

Since 1992, Nikos Yatrou has been living the third great love of his life and for almost 30 years he has remained on the sidelines offering his services to his beloved Confederation of Local Football Federations (POEL) from all its positions. Since 1999, when he completed his 40 years of fruitful service in primary education, POEL became his second home, spending endless hours in the offices of the Federation, engaged in an endless struggle with his colleagues to tackle the problems of the Federation’s affiliated associations.

In 1963 Nikos Yatrou married his beloved Demetra and after 58 years of married life and four children, two daughters and two sons, she is certainly the greatest love of his life.

RATIONALE FOR THE DECISION:

Nikos Yatrou through his more than 60 years of voluntary service, has been a pioneer in the field of sport. He leaves behind a huge legacy of unparalleled and long-standing voluntary service, which is the hallmark of his personality and character. Giving, without ever asking for anything in return…

By a unanimous decision, the Committee of the “Kostas Lymbouris and Nikis Georgiou” Award for Services to Sports of the Central Committee of AKEL honors the 2021 Award to the pillar of football in the countryside and founder of women’s sport, to the father-teacher of hundreds of pupils and respected figure of ethics and selflessness, Nikos Yatrou.

The Award Committee

Petros Hadjichristodoulou, Dora Kyriakou, Emilios Ioannou, Lakis Polycarpou, Stelios Stylianou, Spyroula Mesaritou, Michael Kouvaros (members) and Pambos Stylianou (chairman)