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It is with great pleasure that I participate in today's inauguration of the Pafos FC training centre "Nassos Konstantinou". It is something special for me as well, since I have many good and some bad memories of the two historical clubs of our city, APOP and Evagoras, as well as of the current PAFOS FC team. Bad because I remember both teams going up and down to the second division.
This place was originally created in 2000, after the consolidation of the historical clubs of the city APOP and Evagoras and the merging of their facilities. The redevelopment and modernisation of the venue, which significantly changed the image of the training centre and the unified Pafos FC club itself, began in 2018, with the arrival of new owners Sergei Lomakin and Roman Dubov. The new owners, alongside the projects of complete renovation of the first team's playing and training facilities and the creation of offices, meeting rooms, boutiques and pitches for the academies, designed and adopted the new corporate and sporting identity of the club, with a new logo and strong marketing.
This was followed by further modernisation of the training centre, with three new state-of-the-art football pitches, a medical and rehabilitation room, futsal and beach soccer pitches, a modern gym for the needs of the athletes, a complete overhaul of the Academy's changing rooms and offices and many other innovative facilities. The total cost of the renovations amounted to approximately 7 million euros.
Today, then, is a milestone day in the modern history of the Club, as Paphos FC is now implementing a long-standing goal to create a high standard training centre.
A real jewel for Cypriot sport, which will also serve the needs of the academies, in order to bring our youngsters close to sport and away from the daily dangers that lurk. Sport, moreover, since ancient times, has been an integral part of the education of young people, not only for the multiple physical benefits it offers to man, but much more for the ideals, principles and values it promotes and imparts to man, through socialisation and participation.
At the same time, sport is a prerequisite for the moral development of our young people, because through sport man develops his competitive spirit, acquires self-control and discipline, cultivates the will and determination to face a sports competition and, by extension, life itself, because life itself is a struggle, with joys and sorrows, with victories and defeats, which we must always strive for the best and never, ever give up.
Such initiatives as the management and the people of Pafos FC, contribute greatly and form the basis for us as a country to acquire the right education of young people, to change our mentality and acquire sports education and sports culture, so that we can have development and progress as a society.
Indicative of the importance of the "Nassos Konstantinou" Training Centre is the fact that the team's academy currently numbers about 400 children of all ages, 32 coaches for all departments and more than 80 staff members, carrying out important sporting and social work throughout the Paphos District and the whole of Cyprus.
Sports facilities in our country, and we have to be honest, seem to be lagging behind in technology, accessibility and equipment, especially when compared with abroad. At the present time we have four to five stadiums that come close to modern needs and European standards. The new football stadium in Limassol, which is a jewel for our country. There is the GSP in Nicosia, which despite all its years, can host European football matches, the AEK stadium in Larnaca, and finally, the two indoor stadiums, the Eleftheria in Nicosia and the Spyros Kyprianou in Limassol, which are currently undergoing a total upgrade for the very important hosting and organisation of Eurobasket 2025.
Our intention, as far as the financial possibilities of the state always allow, is to support projects that give a special impetus to the development of sport in all sectors, including mass social sport, sports tourism and of course championship sport.
It is imperative for many reasons, to move forward with the Deputy Ministry of Sport.
It is imperative for many reasons, to move forward with the Deputy Ministry of Sport. The COA has offered a lot to the state so far and I believe it has come full circle. It now needs to evolve, there needs to be modernization, better organization and planning if we want to move forward. At the same time, and in view of what has come to light recently, absenteeism and bad practices cannot be tolerated in sport. We want and need clean sport, clean decisions and, of course, clean competitions. Already, we are studying very carefully the sports map of our country and through consultation and with society we will record any needs and omissions in legislation, in sports facilities, in trained human resources and departments, so that together we can make a restart in sport, which our country needs so much.
Last week, for example, we were watching our athletes at the games of small European countries making us proud and at the same time we were discussing in Cyprus about red envelopes and fixed games.
The Pafos FC training centre was symbolically named "Nassos Konstantinou", in memory of the young former footballer and captain of the Pafos and Academy team who, unfortunately, fell victim to blind gang violence in Thessaloniki in April 2017. With this noble action, you also send a clear message that sport contributes to the maturation of man and keeps him away from phenomena of social pathogenesis, such as violence and drugs. In sport we have absolutely nothing to divide us, but on the contrary, we have much to unite us. Therefore, no violence has ever been able to change a final score in sport. It causes only pain and only damage. As I said before, only through proper and scientific education of young people and with safe and modern sports facilities, we can have in the near future right athletes, right fans and of course and above all right players!
Allow me to thank the management of the Pafos team, the investors and friends who are close to the team for the implementation of this great project and the CMO for the support and concession of the area with a special contract.
I have been informed about the team's request to the state for the concession of the "Stelios Kyriakides" stadium, which has been the home of Pafos FC for many years, as well as the immediate issue of replacing the athletics carpet.
Pafos FC, thanks to the zeal of its members, has managed to go beyond the narrow limits of an athletic club, to become renowned in our country as a spirit of athletic and intellectual activity and to stamp equally the national and social life of the country.
Pafos FC, thanks to the zeal of its members, has managed to go beyond the narrow limits of an athletic club, to become renowned in our country as a spirit of athletic and intellectual activity and to stamp equally the national and social life of the country. Moreover, the logo of the team bears the figure of Evagoras Pallikaridis.
The existence of such a standard and state-of-the-art centre for the Pafos FC team is the basis and at the same time the starting point for an even brighter future full of successes.
Recognizing the needs of society, we are raising the bar even higher today for the sports infrastructure in the region, but also in our country in general.
I wish all the best and every progress to the Pafos FC team, for the glorification of Cypriot sport and for the pride of Pafos FC fans.
I wish that today's inauguration will be crowned with the team's exit to Europe in the new year.
(PM/IS)
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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