The determination of the Greek Cypriot side to work to create the conditions for a Famagusta, free from occupying troops and threats "from Turkish bulimia", was expressed tonight by the President of the Republic, Nikos Anastasiadis.
In his greeting at the closing ceremony of the racing events "Ioannideia 2019", organized for the 7th year by the Famagusta Nautical Club, President Anastasiadis expressed the determination, "to work as much as possible, so as to create the conditions that will allow us to organize Ioannideia to take place in the metropolis, in our Famagusta, free from occupation troops or any threats it faces today from Turkish bulimia.
Referring to the "Ioannideia" which are dedicated to the memory of Chief Captain Andreas Ioannidis, the President of the Republic said that it is an event honored with the name, heroism, memory and contribution to the group and the homeland of the Chief Captain, during that tragic day in Marie.
"Captain Ioannidis, nurturing a special love for Famagusta and the sea, left his strong mark on the Group as an outstanding member, as Vice President of the Group, working and serving with zeal and dedication for its progress, development and goals" , he added.
In this context, he continued, the establishment of the international scope of the institution of "Ioannideia", as well as the continuous development of the action, but also the successes of the athletes and coaches of the Group, honor in the best way the Captain Andreas Ioannidis and his offer.
At the same time, he pointed out, the undertaking and successful organization of such a large number of quality and reliable events place our country on the sailing map, while revealing its potential to satisfy the growing interest in alternative sailing tourism.
Specifically, as President Anastasiadis said, our place, inextricably linked to the sea and shipping since ancient times, in relation to the ideal conditions of navigation and training, is an ideal destination for visitors with special interest in this field.
In this context, he said, "it is not by chance that the organization of the Ioannina events gathers every year on the one hand a large number of international participants and top athletes and on the other hand a lot of positive comments and criticisms".
In addition, he noted the importance of this annual festival of sports of naval interest, as a lever to promote our tourism product, with multiple benefits for the place and the economy, attracting many locals and foreign visitors.
President Anastasiadis made special mention of the Cypriot athletes, Pavlos Kontidis, for winning the Enoshima World Cup, and Marilena Makri, for her amazing performance at the World Championships, which secured her participation in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Radial.
"These new successes for Cypriot sailing, in addition to the excitement and pride they have given us, are another indication of both the dynamics of sailing and the potential of our athletes and what Cyprus can expect from them in the future. ", He added.
He also congratulated the President and the members of the Nautical Club of Famagusta for taking the initiative of the organization of "Ioannideia", the official sponsors, collaborators and volunteers of the games who contributed to the success of the event.
During the event, President Anastasiadis honored our athlete Marilena Makri and her coach, while the event was greeted by the President of KOA, Andreas Michailidis and the President of NOA, Stelios Charalapous.
Earlier, at the entrance of the building of the Nautical Club of Famagusta, a trishagio was performed and wreaths were laid at the Andreas Ioannidis Monument.
