2024-04-15 03:35:56
Rowing from Ioannina was honored at the established annual event of the Hellenic Rowing Federation, which awarded the top sportsmen and women athletes of 2023, in a brilliant ceremony at the building of the Hellenic Olympic Committee in Athens.
At the event, the Cups of the champion and polyvictory were also awarded to the Nautiko Omilo of Ioannina, with its new president Nikos Exarchou receiving them from the president of EKOFNS Yiannis Vrabas. In his greeting, Mr. Exarchou thanked the Federation for the award, emphasizing that the specific awards belong to everyone, as, as he said, there cannot be a first, if there are not all the other associations and their athletes, who give a nice fight to get the win. “For us at N.O.I. this award is an honor but also an obligation for the future. Whoever rests on what he has won, can easily lose it”, he noted and added that “behind every medal there is a tear, which is shed by the athlete as well as his parents. We owe a lot of respect and a big thank you to the parents, who support their children in the best possible way.” In conclusion, the President of N.O.I. he promised that “we will be next to the athlete who is in pain and happy, next to the parent who sympathizes, next to the Federation and the State that help in this effort”.
The first awards concerned Stefanos Dusko and Christina Bourbou-Evangelia Anastasiadou for their qualification to the Olympic games, with the Olympian from Ioannina hoping for another successful performance in Paris, but also looking forward to the moment when he will become the first torchbearer next Tuesday during the Touching of the Olympic flame ceremony in Ancient Olympia.
This was followed by the awards of the athletes, who distinguished themselves in the international competitions in World, European and Balkan championships. Among the top athletes of 2023, who were awarded for their achievements, were seven elite rowers of the NOI. Specifically, awards were received by Pavlos Faitas, Leonidas Palaiopanos, Dimitris Koutras, Vassilis Kostoulas, Aristotelis Lappas, Stefanos Dimitriou and Nefeli Dara.