Newsroom
Cyprus lawmakers unanimously approved legislation requiring the state’s sports authority to provide equal support to athletes with disabilities who achieve, or show promise of achieving, top results.
The measure, introduced by lawmaker Andreas Apostolou, directs the Cyprus Sports Organization to extend the same benefits to Paralympic athletes as those granted to Olympic competitors. Apostolou told colleagues that Cyprus had long been among the few countries that failed to guarantee equal treatment for athletes with disabilities.
Members of several parties welcomed the change. AKEL party deputy Christos Christofides called the vote part of an ongoing fight for fairness and equal rights, while independent MP Alexandra Attalides described it as a milestone for inclusion in sport.
Other lawmakers praised both the government and the CSO for backing the reform. DIKO’s Chrysanthos Savvides said officials had corrected an inequality that should never have existed in a European Union member state. DISY’s Georgios Karoulas stressed the need for broader awareness of Paralympic competition, and DEPA’s Alecos Tryfonides reminded parliament that laws must be followed with consistent implementation.
