ICCE President John Bales recently visited Cyprus with President of the Hellenic Federation of Sports Coaches and Trainers (POPA) and Sport Coaching Europe member Thanasis D Villiotis and POPA’s General Secretary Dimitris K Stefanidis.
During the visit between 14 to 17 May 2024, the group participated in the 1st National Sports Ethics Conference. In this, the POPA delegation had the opportunity to develop their own positions on Ethics in Sports, stressing that Coaches, athletes and agents should be rebaptized in sports ideals, with relevant procedures as well as every new athlete, so that they understand what the sport they serve really is and what it stands for. At the end of the Conference, the President and the General Secretary of the P.O.P.A. were awarded for their contribution to sports by the Cyprus Sports Organization, the Sports Ethics Committee of Cyprus and the Olympians of Cyprus.
POPA and the Olympians of Cyprus signed a cooperation agreement for the joint: cooperation in matters of training of the Coaches of Greece and Cyprus, participation in research programs, promotion of professional rights and proposals for Coaches’ issues, the organization of conferences, lectures, workshops and other activities. The agreement was signed at the headquarters of the Cyprus Sports Organization (KOA) by Thanasis D Villiotis and the President of Olympians Cyprus Kostas Papakostas. Also present was ICCE president John Bales, the President of KOA Mr. Yiannis Ioannou, the Vice-President of KOA Mrs. Kali Hatziiosif, the General Director of KOA Mrs Mary Papamiltiadou and the General Secretary of POPA Dimitris K Stefanidis.
The establishment of a single body of Cypriot Coaches of all sports was announced. The establishment of the single body of Cypriot Coaches will be undertaken by the OLYMPIANS of Cyprus and is an initiative of the President of POPA as Head of the ICCE Working Group for the Development of Sports Coaches Associations. The newly established Cyprus Coaches Association will become a member of the ICCE.
John Bales and the POPA delegation have also been invited to the Presidential Palace of Cyprus in Nicosia by the Director General of the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Charalambos Charalambous. During the meeting they referred to the activities of the global organization of Coaches; and POPA informed about their activity to promote the interests of Coaches in Greece and for the establishment of a single organization of Coaches in Cyprus.
A short meeting was held with the President of the House of Representatives of Cyprus, Mrs. Annita Dimitriou and the Archbishop of Justinian and All Cyprus Mr. George at the Archbishop’s Palace in Nicosia. The Archbishop listened with particular attention and interest to the information on the activities of ICCE and POPA.
A three-day meeting was agreed to be organized in Cyprus in the spring of 2025 with the participation of Cypriot Coaches of all sports as well as Coaches from neighbour countries, for the strengthening of their relations, their cooperation on issues of common interest and the information about activities of ICCE.
