On Wednesday, November 23, 2022, Charalambides Christis and the Amateur Athletic Association of Cyprus formalized the start of their cooperation for the 2022 - 2023 competition season, in the field of the development programme of KOEAS, in the presence of the Minister of Education, Sports and Youth, Mr. Prodromos Prodromou, as well as dozens of primary school children.
For about three decades, KOEAS has been teaching children the best way out, that of sports, as its own gymnasts go to Primary Schools and evaluate the talent and specifications of all children in classical sports, with special tests. The success of this programme is reflected in the champions who have emerged through it, recording an excellent international course.
At the same time, the largest and longest-running dairy company in Cyprus, Charalambides Christis, always offers its best to children as well, top-quality dairy products, essential for their balanced nutrition and development. The company practically and consistently supports Cypriot sports, promoting the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic ideals and guided by the values and benefits of sports. Especially for the new generation, it supports Cypriot athletes, Olympians and Paralympians on multiple levels.
The Minister of Education, Sports and Youth Mr. Prodromos Prodromou congratulated Charalambides Christis and KOEAS for this creative collaboration, stressing that this effort also supports the work of the Ministry of Education, as sports and exercise are of great importance for the health, longevity and prosperity. "For Cyprus, the ESYAA is a necessity, which we should all support, this way it can be established so that children who play sports will have a vision based on their special abilities and talents", Mr. Prodromou concluded, announcing the return of the provincial and Pancyprian athletic competitions at Primary Schools.
Supporter of every right action for the benefit of sports and especially young sportsmen and women is the Cyprus Sports Organization, which since 1998 has activated the National Plan for Sports Development support, providing all possible assistance to all Federations, for integration into the field of sports for Primary School children. In his greeting, the vice-president of KOA, Mr. Kostakis Koukkoulis, after congratulating Charalambides Christis and KOEAS for their cooperation, said, among other things: "Sports in Cyprus becomes better when organizations of your range take such actions, which help sports to develop from the ground up".
The president of the Cyprus Olympic Committee, Giorgos Chrysostomou, also addressed a greeting, and praised the cooperation of Charalambides Christis and KOEAS, as several champions and important athletes in history have emerged from this programme.
Charalambides Christis was represented at the press conference by the managing director of the company, Marios Konstantinou, who, after expressing his joy for the support of the development programme of KOEAS, said: "Sports has always proven that it has the power to change the world towards better. I believe that it is the responsibility of each one of us, whether as parents or as educators, and as experts, as a state, as a society, and as a business, to effectively participate in the choice of our young people to follow the demanding, but also hopeful path of sports. That is exactly why we, as Charalambides Christis, are very happy about our strategic cooperation with the Cyprus Amateur Athletic Association. Athletics is a top sport which is considered to be the foundation of the Olympic Games, and the basis for all sports. Athletics provides physical, mental and spiritual strength. As Charalambides Christis, we firmly and practically support the values of sports, the dreams of our children, our youth, our athletes, and our champions, who are healthy role models and lead our country, Cyprus, to a better future for all of us".
Particularly satisfied with this collaboration is KOEAS, with its president Pericles Markaris, pointing out the enormous value of its development programme and how great it worked for the promotion of talents, some of whom later became champions, achieving huge successes in international athletics. After elaborating on the way the development programme of KOEAS functions, Mr. Markaris especially thanked the Ministry of Education and KOA, for the support in the effort being made to upgrade the programme.
Addressing the company of Charalambides Christis, with which new constructive cooperation begins, the president of KOEAS expressed his satisfaction by stating: "We express our warm thanks to the company of Charalambides Christis, and we invite the sports fans to support our sponsors and embrace the development programme of KOEAS, urging children to engage in classical sports, in which we have a huge tradition and proud heritage".
* Present at the press conference were the two top world champion hammer throwers, in the under-18 category, Iosif Kesidis and Valentina Savva, who mentioned how important the ESYAA programme was for them. In 2022, Kesidis won the gold medal at the European Under-18 Championships in Jerusalem and the bronze medal at the Under-20 World Championships in Cali, Colombia. Valentina Savva also won the gold medal at the European U18 Championship, while she reached 4th place at the World U20. Both of them also won 1st place in the World Middle School of Normandy. Also present were other young champions, as well as athletes with international successes, who came out through the KOEAS development programme.
