CEV President visits Cyprus Volleyball family in trip down memory lane

CEV President Roko Sikirić travelled earlier this week to Cyprus for a two-day visit to the Mediterranean island – with the programme featuring a series of high-profile meetings with national authorities, members of the local Volleyball family and the emotional return to an arena where the CEV President had performed himself during his competitive career in the sport. 

Shortly upon his arrival, the European Volleyball leader attended a matchup featuring two top teams from the women’s national league, Olympiada Neapolis NICOSIA and Apollon LIMASSOL. At the end of the match and despite their defeat, Olympiada crowned themselves national league champions for the third time in a row, thereby securing a unique and unprecedented achievement for the club. A ceremony was held there with the CEV President helping celebrate the newly-crowned national champions of Cyprus together with the President of the Croatian Volleyball Federation, Frane Žanić.

The next morning, a meeting at the Ministry of Education and Sport took place followed by another high-profile get-together with authorities from the Cyprus Olympic Committee. The discussions revolved around the present and future of Volleyball in Cyprus and plans for its further development across the island. The meeting at the Olympic House took place in the same conference room that had hosted a historic meeting of the CEV Executive Committee in December 2007. 

Subsequently, the CEV President was taken to the headquarters of the Cyprus Volleyball Federation to meet with President Dr Costas Constantinou, 2nd Vice President Franklinos Andreou, Secretary General Marinos Stylianides, and other staff members. Further discussions were held with the leadership regarding future plans as well as the current status of Volleyball in Cyprus. The session ended with the CEV President interviewed by national broadcaster CyBC. 

In the evening there was a nice surprise for the CEV President. The men’s Cup Final between Pafiakos PAFOS and Anorthosis FAMAGUSTA was played in the very same arena – Themistokleio Athletic Centre – where he had contested a match of the CEV Volleyball Cup as a BERLIN Recycling Volleys player back in October 2011 versus Anorthosis FAMAGUSTA. Familiar faces – including former players who were standing on the other side of the net back then plus the leadership of both clubs – gave him a warm welcome. The final was a great event with a capacity crowd making it an unforgettable Volleyball night for all involved.