Refugee children living in one of the open refugee shelters in Attica successfully passed the evaluation in the sport of Taekwondo. While students of the Taekwondo academy of Olympiakos acted as a role model through an impressive demonstration of knowledge in the sport. Therefore, students of the Olympic Academy and students of the refugee structure united in a joint training, proving that sport unites peoples and bridges cultures.

The President of the HOC, Mr. Spyros Capralos, and the Deputy Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Mrs. Sofia Voultepsi, who were present at the event, personally expressed their wishes for the children’s progress and the New Year. After the exams, Mr. Capralos and Mrs. Voultepsi rewarded the children’s efforts with medals, diplomas and many gifts.

The deputy minister said, “I consider these efforts of the Hellenic Olympic Committee very important, and I thank especially President Spyros Capralos. We work closely with the HOC and we will always support such little projects that however offer so much and are also exemplary for other European countries.”

The President of HOC expressed his sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum, as well as to the administration of the refugee structure who collaborated with the HOC in the implementation of this program, stating, “We are very happy and proud that our plans do not stop at words and become actions. Thus, today we see the results of these efforts through the children’s progress and work, not only for the sport they love, but also for their social integration in the country that hosts them.”

The HOC wished to thank the students of the Taekwondo Academy of Olympiakos and the examiner Alexandros Gotsis. A special thanks to the Taekwondo coach Dimitris Dimitriadis and the assistant coach Nikos Angelopoulos, who volunteer to train the children of the structure within the European project ‘Kids love sports’.