GREECE/FILE: OLYMPICS 2012 - Olympics athletes say they will not let the financial difficulties plaguing preparations dampen their motivation, as the Greek Olympic Committee chief says the team was prepared without state funding.

Record ID: 330868

  • Title: GREECE/FILE: OLYMPICS 2012 - Olympics athletes say they will not let the financial difficulties plaguing preparations dampen their motivation, as the Greek Olympic Committee chief says the team was prepared without state funding.
  • Date: 4th July 2012
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (FILE - MARCH 19, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF OLYMPIC ATHLETES TRAINING AT FACILITY SHOTPUTTER TRAINING
  • Embargoed: 19th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA4Y0XFMISVMQLBGU2SR8Q8J3OI
  • Story Text: Sports officials said on Wednesday (July 4) Greece has managed to send a large team to the London games despite having no budget for Olympics preparations.
    At a presentation of the athletes' new Olympics uniforms, Sports Minister Ioannis Ioannidis said sports did not escape the financial crisis, with the government budget allocated for sports at only 0.02 percent of GDP, something that would be detrimental for society as keeping youth involved in sports kept them from getting involved in dangers such as drugs or crime.
    "Along with the general problem in the country sports also has a huge problem. The budget for sports is 0.02 percent; this will end up costing the health ministry dearly in the future, because sports keeps all our children in good health and off dangerous streets," said Ioannidis.
    President of the Greek Olympic Committee Spyros Kapralos said more than 100 athletes were heading to the games from Greece, and although less than the Beijing games, it was a great feat accomplished without state funding and financial problems.
    "The financial difficulties are still there, nothing has improved, however we are lucky I would say that we managed to have many athletes who qualified for the Olympic games. We will have a team that exceeding 100 athletes and I think this is due to the big commitment that we had that every athlete who qualifies will be in the plane to go to the Olympics," said Kapralos.
    State funding cuts have caused cutbacks at sports federations. The Hellenic Olympic Committee has not received Olympics preparation funding since 2009.
    "Well budgets remain the same. The Greek state did not give us any money for the Olympic preparation, but we managed to - there was a strong commitment from everybody that all the moneys we are going to get from sponsors, from private companies, would go towards the preparation and the participation of the athletes to the Olympic games and this is what we did and we are very proud and happy today that we have such a big team going to London," he said.
    Greek athletes have faced problems such as inadequate training facilities, equipment shortages, salaries not being paid, and cash prizes not being issued.
    Athletes said sponsors and family members were playing a major part in supporting them.
    "I don't want to be miserable any more, because in the last two years we went through a lot in the field of athletics, and we are still going through allot. But we are trying to get over it by ourselves, with the support of our federations, of our families, our sponsors such as Adidas, and to try for the best. The state was not at our side," said triple jumper Niki Paneta.
    There were no funds for some to train abroad such as their international colleagues.
    "Personally, I could not go on the number of trips I should have to train in order to have the proper preparation. Now we are at the last stretch, I have chosen to train here, the federation is doing what it can, as much as it can, to help us, but the situation is difficult, the clubs also try to help, but its difficult," said 21 year old sailing athlete Anna Agrafioti, who is a new athlete and faces her first olympics.
    "There are countries stronger than us, with the right equipment, with doctors, with physiotherapists, with dieticians, and so so many more benefits. But I strongly believe in the power of the soul, that if you believe you will succeed and can reach a level without having all of this," said European triple jump champion Voula Papachristou, whose coach had been working without an income and she herself had not been paid her cash prizes from previous championships.
    The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also stepped in to provide funding to several Greek athletes and teams for their preparation.
    Greek private airline Olympic Airways has offered to provide the transportation for the athletes to London.
    And athletes say it is not just the practical problems they have had to surpass but the psychological burden of Greece's economic crisis, which has affected friends and family as well.
    "At the stage we are at now we are trying to put these problems aside so we can be more focussed and do not lose our goal. I think we have accomplished this, there are only 20 -25 days left. We will give it all we have got in order to do the right thing," said cyclist Christos Volikakis.
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