The Aegean at the side of Yiannis Nikolaos for the “Restart at SEGAS”

The relevant press release in detail:

“Two new surprise candidates were announced today by Yannis Nikolaou for the “Restart at SEGAS”, confirming the great importance he will give to the development and support of sports clubs in island regions, as it is the first time that we have two candidates from islands in a combination of the Aegean regions.

It’s about two well-known persons in their regions, with active involvement in athletics and common acceptancewho above all know first hand the key issues faced by athletes and coaches in the island clubs and their election to SEGAS will be a guarantee for finding solutions.

He is the Stelios Kopanou from Mytilini as a representative of the islands of the northern Aegean, 6th European champion and member of the National teams who today, apart from his professional activity as an ichthyologist-environmentalist, is also a founding member of the athletics association OKA Mytilini and a parent of young athletes.

He is also the Kyriakos Magos from Rhodes as a representative of the islands of the southern Aegean (Crete is an independent entity and is not counted in these regions), also a former athlete, physical education teacher, founding member and president of the athletics association OFKA Rodionikes, but also a parent of young athletes.

With the addition of the two new names, the number of candidates announced by Yiannis Nikolaou now reaches 12, and in the next 24 hours it is expected that more new names will be announced who have joined the “Restart at SEGAS” team.

Justifying this choice, which dramatically increases the dynamics of his candidacy as the Aegean islands make up almost 15% of the electorate, Yannis Nikolaou as head of Relaunch and candidate for president of SEGAS emphasized:

“Everyone knows the miserable conditions under which some romantic and passionate people with athletics fight their personal battle in remote parts of Greece, continental as well as island, to keep Greek athletics alive in places that have produced dozens of great champions and female champions.

Unfortunately, however, no substantial action has been taken for many years to improve the conditions and to actually support the sports clubs on our islands. The presence of at least two candidates from the Aegean islands in the Restart group and their support for election to the SEGAS Board of Directors is only the beginning of a great change for the better.”

THE 2 NEW CANDIDATES OF THE RESTART

1. Stylianos Kopanou (member of OKA Mytilini): “The federation and Greek athletics in general need a renewal and a restart, exactly as described in his program by Yannis Nikolaou, a man with a vision, with knowledge and with a specific plan, which is the main reason for supporting his initiative , but also of my participation in the group of candidates of Yiannis Nikolaos for the election to the SEGAS Board of Directors. It is the right time for a new generation of people from within the sport to take over the responsibilities of the sport, who can lead the federation in a smooth transition into the new era and support all clubs without discrimination. Critical areas such as Lesbos, Chios and Lemnos, which have staffed the National teams with a multitude of sportsmen and women, need special attention and development”.

2. Kyriakos Magos (Chairman of the Board of Directors of OFKA Rodionikes): “As a physical education teacher who represents a region – the Dodecanese – with a very important imprint on Greek sports and the emergence of many champions, I am well aware from my daily friction with the athletic youth, the urgent need for a renewal in the athletics federation and I embrace with all my co-candidates the proposal of Yiannis Nikolaos for a Restart in Greek athletics. I, like the whole healthy sports world, am rallying with the visionary and internationally recognized for his contribution, SEGAS president candidate Yiannis Nikolaou, to give new impetus and ideas to the sporting youth of our country”.