A TEENAGER was stabbed outside the Nicosia municipal swimming pool on Sunday, following a fight earlier on in the day, involving numerous people.
The 15-year-old boy was injured in the back after being attacked with a knife in the pool’s car park in the afternoon.
Police said yesterday they had no suspects and have made no arrests, but confirmed that the victim was not seriously injured.
The stabbing came after a violent incident involving numerous people earlier on Sunday at the complex, which involved a pool lifeguard.
It was not immediately clear yesterday if the two events are linked.
The municipality failed to provide CCTV footage of either incident, and no witnesses to the stabbing have come forward as of yet.
Security cameras are installed in the place but were not functioning, police said.
Eyewitness to the earlier incident Christoforos Eraclides described a brawl involving “easily 40 people” using umbrellas and tables as weapons. “It was a huge fight. in a flash punches were thrown left right and centre” said Eraclides.
This reportedly came after an initial tussle between two small groups of pool users involving a lifeguard.
“It began with just two men arguing and threatening each other. A lifeguard said something and it quickly became ugly – a lot of men were involved,” Eraclides said.
The eyewitness said one group left the site before police arrived, only to return shortly afterwards. “They came back with many more men shouting “Get out! The pool is closed!” Parents and children hurried to escape before the second, more hostile confrontation erupted.
Police did arrive to defuse the situation but received no cooperation from witnesses, all of whom declined to give statements or even their names.
Municipal pool manager Panayiotis Georgiou described those involved as “babies with the bodies of men.”
Georgiou was denied permission to reveal details of the incident to the press by the Nicosia Municipality — the managers of the establishment — but did confirm that more than one lifeguard was dismissed on Sunday evening following the violence.
He was however unable to give a reason for the dismissals.
The violence allegedly occurred between members of the Pontian community.
An eyewitness said “This is no surprise.”
Staff at the municipal pool declined to comment on whether they have experienced similar incidents in the past.
Nicosia Mayor Eleni Mavrou said yesterday the events happened outside of the pool. She said inside, a group of young Pontians had reacted to something the lifeguard had said. The lifeguard did not go to work yesterday and officials were waiting to speak to him.
“We have contacted a private security firm to ensure safety in the area. We have also decided that anyone who has created problems in the past will not be allowed entry,” said Mavrou.
She said the municipality didn’t have the names of the troublemakers but knew their faces.
