CNPC President optimistic about Cypriot Paralympic team’s presence in Paris

The Cypriot Paralympic team is heading to Paris with a sense of optimism and the hope of returning with medals, the President of the Cyprus National Paralympic Committee (CNPC), Andreas Kamarligos, has said.

As he pointed out in an interview with CNA, their expectations are high, as medals are expected from swimmer Karolina Pelendritou, and a placement in the top eight for the rest of the team members.

Asked about the Cypriot Paralympic team's path to Paris, Kamarligos said that the process of qualifying for the Paralympic Games started after the Tokyo Paralympics.

"Our athletes participated in many competitions abroad to be able to qualify. Karolina Pelendritou managed to qualify directly, while Viktor Pentaras and Maria Markou secured qualification through the world high performance ranking," he added.

He further noted that there is a lot of optimism that Karolina will make it to a medal. "Hopefully it will be gold," he added. Karolina Pelendritou is competing in the S11 qualification in the 50m freestyle on August 31, while she will compete in the SB11 qualification in the 100m breaststroke on September 5.

He also said that 24-year-old Viktor Pentaras, who is participating in the Paralympics for the first time, will compete directly in the long jump final in the T37 category on September 3.

The CNPC President also said that the Cypriot Paralympic team has already been in the Paralympic Village since Sunday, 25 August, while officials will be in Paris from Tuesday, 27 August.

Referring to the importance of Cypriot athletes’ successes, Kamarligos said that the successes of a small island are extremely important, and the mere fact that the name of Cyprus is heard in the media through the participation of its athletes, let alone when they win a medal and the Cypriot flag is raised, is the biggest advertisement there can be.

He also sent a message to the Cypriot society and to the parents of children with disabilities to bring them into sport and for society to accept them as it accepts every other person.

In his interview with CNA, meanwhile, the Chief of Mission for Cyprus, Andreas Theofylaktou, revealed that the organisers set a limit of six people for each nation’s team and therefore he decided to give up his position so that all the Cypriot athletes could participate.

Andreas Theofylaktou

Cyprus' three paralympic athletes, namely Karolina Pelendritou who is the flag bearer, Maria Markou and Viktoras Pentaras along with their coaches Stelios Kakavoyiannis, Demetris Ioannides and Elias Agapiou will take part in the opening ceremony parade for the Paralympic Games in Paris.

Theofylaktou told the Cyprus News Agency that this is mostly a decision based on ethics , noting that there was a strict limit of six people in the parade. This is the right thing to do, he said.

Τhe Paralympics in Paris are taking place between 28 August and 8 September.

(Source: CNA)