The EOE honored the athletes-parents who qualified for the “Paris 2024” Olympic Games

The sportsmen and women that they are parents and secured within 2023, qualification for the “Paris 2024” Olympic Games, the Gender Equality Committee of the Hellenic Olympic Committee honored, while sending a message in favor of Equality in sports.

The athletes who were honored are:

Efthymios Mitas, Shooting

Lefteris Petrounias, Gymnastics

Yannis Fundoulis, Water polo

Christian Golomeev, Swimming

Greetings were addressed at the event by the President of the EOE and member of the IOE Spyros Kapralos, the Deputy Minister of Social Cohesion and Family Maria Alexandra Kefala, the General Secretary for Equality Zefi Dimadama and the President of the EOE Gender Equality Committee Vasiliki Millousi.

Among other things, Mr. Kapralos said: “The Hellenic Olympic Committee will be by the side of the athletes we are honoring today, in every part of their journey until Paris and the 2024 Olympic Games.

As it is with all the sportsmen and women who claim qualification for the Olympic Games. Until now in 2023 which is the basic Pre-Olympic Year, the EOE has given more than one million, six hundred thousand euros for Olympic Preparation.

Money given in order for the sportsmen and women to continue their preparation to the best possible extent and to claim the qualification for Paris. These funds come from the Hellenic Olympic Committee’s own resources.

We secure them from sponsors but mainly from the proper exploitation of our property and unfortunately not from the state. I will not hide from you that unfortunately the grant for the year 2023 amounts to €480,250, reduced by 15% compared to the previous years and even in view of the Olympic year!”

Vassiliki Millousi said: “I know very well how difficult it is to be an athlete at a high level and at the same time have the responsibilities of a parent. Nothing is the same anymore, everything is done for your children. Today we reward the athletes for this effort. I also know what it means to be a woman in sports. Because of the position in the EOE, but also as a female champion and a mother of two daughters, I could only defend the position of women in the field of sports that I love so much. We are capable and now with more support, the future can only be written.”

This was followed by a panel on the topic: “Proposals for more equality in the leadership of Greek sports” and in which the Olympic champion and Vice-President of the World Weightlifting Federation Pyrros Dimas, the Director of the IOC Athlete Participation and Qualification Criteria Department Melina participated and submitted personal testimonies and proposals Xanthopoulou, the Director of the EOE Yvette Kosmetatou, the President of the Hellenic Federation of Modern Pentathlon Dora Palli and Andreas Tsohandaris, CEO of KYKLOFOROS IKE. The panel was moderated by Iris Vlachoutsikou, member of the Gender Equality Committee of the EOE, who was also in charge of the event.

The event took place within the framework of the EOE’s participation in the European project GAMES – Guidance to Achieve More Equal Leadership in Sport, which is implemented by the Gender Equality Committee of the E.O.E.

Georgia Papathanasiou, head of the European Projects department of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, presented the GAMES program which is implemented in collaboration with seven other Olympic Committees and gender experts, under the coordination of the European Office of the European Olympic Committees and the support of the International Olympic Committee.

The event was also attended by the Head of the Olympic Mission in Paris Petros Synadinos, the President of the EOE Marketing Committee Nikos Iatrou, the members of the EOE Nikos Xylouris, Kostis Liaromatis, Thanasis Papageorgiou, Thomas Tomas, the President of the Hellenic Gymnastics Federation Thanasis Stathopoulos, the Olympian Demosthenes Tabakos, the President of the Association of Greek Olympians Voula Zygouri and many others.

The event was presented by Maria Bekatorou, whom the EOE Gender Equality Committee thanked for her participation.