Sports stars of Cyprus – who are they?
Time to talk about sports. Are there professional sports in Cyprus, and, generally, do lazy Cypriots pampered by the sun, and coastal sea waves go in for amateur sports in https://parimatch.com.cy/en? Let’s start with the 2014 Winter Olympics in our beloved country. Only two athletes were sent to Sochi from Cyprus. Alpine skiing boy and skiing girl – Konstantinos Papamikael and Alexandra Taylor, respectively. Of course, they can’t claim any prizes and even get into the top ten, so they perform at the Olympics under the slogan “The main thing is not victory, the main thing is participation.” Participation in any Olympic Games is an honor, even in winter ones, and for athletes from hot countries, where snow is seen only in pictures, it is doubly honorable, at least for the will and desire. Cyprus, since 1980, every time sends its athletes to the Winter Olympic Games. They never won medals, but they took part.
Of all the Cypriot athletes I know who have achieved severe results in international competitions, only one is the most interesting – Kyriakos Ioannou. A high jumper from Limassol, in 2007, at the World Championships in Athletics in Osaka (Japan), took 3rd place with a result of 235 cm, and in 2009 at the World Championships in Athletics in Berlin (Germany), he showed a jump of 232 cm and took 2nd place. However, he disappeared from sight after that and did not show close results.
Football
Everyone plays football at an average level. It isn’t easy to distinguish a professional from an ordinary clerk who plays mini-football under the spotlights at night. Why at night? The answer is simple – the unbearable heat of the day. Starting from 21.00 until it stops, all the football grounds in Cyprus, which have at least some artificial lighting, are occupied. But the favorite sport of Cypriots is laziness.
World Rally Championship
The international rally WRC (World Rally Championship) attracts excellent attention from the whole island, one of the stages of which is also held in Cyprus. Thanks to the interesting mountain track, the race looks good and provocatively.
The British have left their bold imprint on the sports niche of Cyprus in the form of rugby. But the Cypriots do not have any significant success in this sport. Cypriots prefer comfortable riding in an air-conditioned car to cycling races on a mountain serpentine.
Basketball
It is also a very popular sport in Cyprus. The most famous sporting event in Cyprus is the Cyprus Women’s Basketball Championship, which was first held on the island back in 1988. Since then, the championship has been held annually. The largest number of victories has the women’s basketball team of Cyprus from Limassol.
Tennis
This type of port in Cyprus has been popular for over 10 years. Locals and tourists love playing tennis both professionally and just for fun. In different parts of the island there are special clubs where they teach the game of tennis to those of any age and level. In addition, this is one of the most popular types of sports clubs among school-age children.
Most of the elite hotels in Cyprus have tennis courts on their territory. And those who choose to rent property in Cyprus during their holidays will be able to visit the mentioned clubs, where it is possible to purchase a club card or a special subscription.
Popular sports events in Cyprus
Many football teams fly to the island yearly, thanks to the beautiful winter climate. Sometimes it happens that 10-15 teams gather on the island simultaneously. Tennis courts in the evening are packed, mostly with tourists or amateur athletes. The annual Cypriot winter marathon gathers quite numerous runners. Unfortunately, for objectivity, there are not enough Cypriots there.
