Filenews 13 August 2021 - by Stelios Tsiartas
In order to be able to flourish at a professional level, but also to become a culture in societies, it needs the appropriate infrastructure that will give the tools to athletes to develop their talent, but also to athletes to work out for their health. In our country, infrastructure is a "wound" in sport that needs healing. We met the president of the CMO, Andreas Michaelides, and learned about the organization's new strategy on facilities, and we were informed about the new stadiums coming up.
The lord of sport in our country, Andreas Michaelides, has undoubtedly been one of the most popular figures in Cypriot football for several decades. A man of sport who, as President of the Cyprus Sports Organization, you will see him present at all sports. For him, sport without infrastructure does not exist. "The most important element of sport is man. When there's an athlete there's a future, but you have to give him the tools he needs to work his talent. Although we are a small country we have excellent athletes. We must support them not only financially, but also offer them the right facilities. I hope that I will be given the resources and as a CMO we will build infrastructure, we know the needs that exist," the minister told us. In addition, he confided to us that his greatest dream is to get the water in the groove for a closed track stadium in our country, "the place, the sport and the athletes need it," Mr. Michaelides told us, wanting to highlight to us the injustice suffered by our country's track and field athletes, who are forced to travel abroad to be given the opportunity to compete in Closed Athletics. According to the President of the CMO, the state prefers its creation as it understands the needs that exist and has instructed the organization to proceed with the design of the Stadium.
The Ministry of Sport is in great need
Andreas Michaelides stressed to us how important it is to move forward with the issue of the Ministry of Sport. "We have so many State Ministries and we did the right thing, as it was necessary and in the future we will see the results that will pay off. But it is also necessary for the Ministry of Sport, not because it is Andreas Michaelides, but sport needs it. It is not possible for the President of the Agency for any action to have to obtain approval from the existing Ministry or from the Ministry of Finance. Processes that cause waste and waste valuable time. The President of the CMO must be flexible", he stressed.
The CMO's infrastructure strategy
Stadiums with open doors
Cyprus does not have the parks that exist abroad to meet the needs of athletes and athletes. The CMO, aware of the long-term need that exists, came in consultation with the Ministry of Education for a long-term cooperation that provided for the exploitation of the stadiums located within schools. The aim of the organization is to improve the sports infrastructure by placing appropriate surfaces and turf synthetic or natural, making these stadiums capable of welcoming both high-level athletes and other athletes.
"We want, after some time, to open the doors of the stadiums and not to close, always of course with the right measures that will preserve the facilities of the stadiums and the schools. To create spaces for the world to sport, to open the doors to the athletes at 8-10 at night. But we will start work from the beginning of the year on 7-8 stages in Cyprus. There are already projects that have been given to the world, such as Laiteio in Limassol, the stadium at St. George's School in Larnaca and the Kykkos II stadium in Nicosia," said President of the CMO.
Regional stadiums
The CMO stopped short of the old tactics, which commanded that each community should have its own stadium, or even two. It aims to invest regional land that will offer high benefits to neighbouring communities. In this way there will be better allocation of money and at the same time more upgraded facilities. In this context, the Agency seeks to bring some associations into a union that will help them, in addition to surviving financially, to acquire their own infrastructure.
The 20% clause
The CMO to enable several teams to enjoy high sports facilities, in each stadium it delivers puts a condition of use of 20% of the stadium. In this way he can now do so and in practice intervene and place teams in stadiums that want to train and fight.
The new stadiums coming
The coveted Limassol Arena
Limassol for years lacked a stadium of international standards. The Limassol Arena of more than €32 million will have a capacity of 11.000 spectators and will host the three teams of Limassol that for many years were worth the construction of a stadium, AEL, Apollo and Aris. According to schedules the project is expected to be delivered next year in June and the championship of 22-23. It will host not only the Lemesian teams but, if necessary, other teams participating in the European competitions, and the national team. The stadium will belong to UEFA category 4, the highest category and will have the following facilities: shelter in all stands, 4 locker units, media areas, official and enclosed official spaces, access facilities and seats for the disabled, closed circuit television system, cafes-canteens, shops and boutiques, auxiliary stadiums.
Football House in Cyprus
The Cyprus Football Federation is in the process of creating a sports centre in the community of Kornos in Larnaca province, which will be ready for operation in 2024.
The National Sports Centre will represent the "House of Football in Cyprus" where all football players, coaches, referees etc. will be able to train. It is equally important that the headquarters of the COP will be transferred to the National Sports Centre, so that all those who work and are related to the COP are concentrated in the same infrastructure.
The aim is for the Sports Centre to host official international competitions and tournaments, as well as children's league matches. The whole project will be financed mainly by the UEFA Hattrick, FIFA Forward, and the Federation itself, while the land in Kornos has already been granted free of charge by the Government and recently the lease of land to the CMO has been approved by the Council of Ministers with a commitment to be sub-leased to the COP for the creation of the Sports Centre.
The facilities will also be able to host conferences, seminars and educational programs directly related to the COP, the National Teams and football.
The National Sports Centre will provide high quality training courses for all our National Teams, for matches of all national teams except the National Men as well as facilities for organizing various events as well as educational programs, thus providing the best conditions for the development and improvement of the Federation and football.
Glafkos Clerides Stadium
The stadium of Katokopia Glory in Peristeron, went through a facelift and it is expected that if the timetables are met it will be able to open its doors to the public in November. It will have a capacity of 4,000 spectators, while the stadium will host other refugee groups, as well as other clubs in the region. In addition to the plans of the refugee association is to create a Sports Center for the team. The new upgraded stadium will take the name of the former President of the Republic of Cyprus, Glafkos Clerides.
