By Sofia Kannas
CYPRUS is very close to becoming the training base for the British Olympic Team in the run up to Athens 2004, according to representatives of the British Olympic Association.
Olympic Performance Manager and Director of the Cyprus Training Camp Programme Richard Simmons and Chief Executive Simon Clegg were on the island yesterday concluding a three-day visit as part of the preparations for the probable use of Cyprus as a warm weather training base for the British Olympic Team for the Athens games in 2004.
The possibility of Team GB basing its athletes in Cyprus was first mooted last April following a visit to the island by British Sports Minister Richard Cabourn.
Speaking after a news conference in Nicosia on Thursday night, Simmons told the Cyprus Mail he believed the Association was “very close” to concluding a deal with the Cyprus Authorities, adding that “the whole thing is very imminent”.
He also said the island was still the favoured venue for the training camp, ahead of other cities such as Barcelona and Madrid.
Addressing journalists at the conference, Clegg said Cyprus was “ideal” in terms of both climatic compatibility with Athens and accessibility to the Greek capital. He also cited language as another factor, adding that the culture in Cyprus showed Greek and British influences, making it suitable culturally to acclimatise British Athletes to Athens.
“British people feel very comfortable here.”
He added that the facilities in Cyprus were impressive, another factor influencing their choice.
“If the facilities were not good here, it doesn’t matter how good anything else is, we wouldn’t even look at (Cyprus). We have a level of facilities here that are either at a high enough level already or with some slight adjustment can be upgraded to the required level.
“All of these points lead us to believe that Cyprus really is an ideal place to train.
“We have had a very exciting visit… (and) our Minister (Richard Cabourn) remains convinced that this is the right place for the team,” he added.
Clegg also confirmed that the Association was trying to create a permanent warm weather training facility on the island, something which he said would benefit both Britain and Cyprus, and enhance the ties and co-operation between the two countries in the areas of sport and sports tourism.
Simmons stated that if a deal on the Olympics was agreed, up to 300 athletes involved in almost 30 sports would be training on the island over the next 18 months. He confirmed that preparations were already under way for a full size Olympic boxing ring to be brought over and assembled in the next two weeks.
“We have examples of several sports having been here already. We also have 11 separate track and field groups coming here in May and training at the Paphiako stadium.”
He added that most of the athletes, including four world indoor athletics medal winners, would be training in Paphos during April or May and staying at either the Imperial Beach Hotel or the Paphos Gardens.
“Asia Hansen who recently won the World Indoor triple jump gold, will be here twice — she’s coming in April and will be back in May.”
Clegg stressed the benefits for Cyprus that would result from the proposed deal, saying that the economic impact of Team GB on the community where the British training camp was based before Sydney 2000, amounted to over £1 million sterling.
“I think that we will have 120-150 members of the British press here immediately before Athens which means potentially huge tourism exposure for Cyprus,” he added.
Asked about security measures, Clegg said the Association considered Cyprus a safe place for British athletes despite the international situation.
“We are always concerned about security… but in that respect I have every confidence in the security here and there is nothing that gives me undue concern at this moment in time.”
Clegg and Simmons met with Commerce and Industry Minister George Lillikas on Thursday, to put forward their proposals and said they expected a response from the island’s authorities at the end of the month.
Cyprus Airways spokesman Tassos Angelis also confirmed that discussions were under way for the airline to act as the official carrier for the British Olympic team.
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
