Press Releases

It is my great honour and pleasure to welcome you to Larnaka, and the Opening Ceremony of the 3^rd Board of Directors Meeting of the International Military Sports Council (CISM) for 2022.

Your presence here today affirms your love and interest for Military Sports, and for that, I warmly thank you.

I hope your stay is combined with constructive and fruitful discussions on the future of military sports. It is a great honour for us to organize this Meeting and, a few days later, the CISM European Conference. In this manner, we try to contribute to the spread of CISM ideals, based on inherited athletic values.

As you may know, this land in its long history has suffered a lot from wars that took place on its soil. The need for peace and friendship is therefore profound to us. We consider Cyprus to be a beacon of security and stability in the wider region, and we aspire to contribute to the spread of these great values, and military sports can be a great tool towards that.

Sport has long ago proven its ability to bridge national, political, racial, and cultural differences between people. It is a means that encourages and establishes understanding between nations and people, an educational means, open to all people. The International Military Sports Council (CISM), with its status and international range, has managed to unify the Armed Forces of 140 member states from every continent.

Our Military Sports Council works under the auspices of the Minister of Defence, trying to apply contemporary best practices and expertise in our armed forces, and instil in thousands of uniformed young people, the athletic spirit and love for sports, and promote Friendship through sport!

Dear friends,

I would like to keep this greeting short. You have a lot to say and do during the next few days. At this point, I would like to welcome you to Cyprus once more, and to officially declare the commencement of the proceedings of the 3^rd Board of Directors Meeting of CISM for 2022.

(MV/ECHR)