The Macolin Convention and the latest developments in the national and international context regarding the handling of game manipulation were discussed in Cyprus by the Secretary General of Sport and President of EPATHLA, Giorgos Mavrotas, at the inauguration ceremony of the National School of Ethics and Sports Protection .
The event took place on Monday evening at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, in the presence of the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulidis.
Mavrotas was invited by the Cyprus Sports Ethics and Protection Commission (EDPA), to give the opening speech at the opening ceremony of the School, which will operate under the supervision of the EDPA (it is the Cyprus equivalent of EPATHLA). The Deputy Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Zetta Makri, was also invited to the event.
During Mr. Mavrotas’ presence in Cyprus, the excellent cooperation between the two countries was confirmed, which began with the signing of the memorandum of cooperation between EPATHLA and EDPA last June in Athens, in the presence of the vice-president of this last, Efthymis Efthimiou.
The two sides confirmed that cooperation to combat match-fixing will continue through knowledge sharing based on the Macolin Convention.
Cyprus signed the Convention in 2017 and is working towards its ratification, while in this context a joint meeting of EPATHLA and EDPA is planned in spring 2025.
Issues of ethics and integrity in Sport are also a top priority for Cyprus, which was confirmed by the President of the Republic of Cyprus in his greeting.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Zetta Makri, also welcomed, referring to the educational role of Sports.
In his presentation, Mr. Mavrotas referred extensively to the Macolin Convention and ways of dealing with game manipulation, highlighting that actions are needed not only to prevent, but also to suppress the phenomenon.
“Education and awareness help prevent it, while the collection and analysis of information and the imposition of sanctions help to suppress it. However, to obtain a result, coordination and synergies of all bodies involved are necessary “he said.
“The State, the sports movement, police authorities, the betting ecosystem, intergovernmental organizations must coordinate and cooperate at national and international level. By joining forces, all of the above can effectively deal with game manipulation. The Macolin Convention offers this framework for cooperation”.
On Tuesday morning, ggA participated in the 1st Sports Scientific Conference “Mental Health and Training – Holistic approach to sports performance”, organized by the Cyprus Sports Organization (CSO) and then collaborated with CSO officials, planning joint actions .