The Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) in collaboration with the Greek NGO METAdrasi (project coordinator) and the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), celebrated the  launch of the “Together in Sport – Phase II” project with a very successful  event held at the HOC premises on the 6^th of December.

Building on the success of Phase I, which positively impacted over 9.000 beneficiaries in local communities across Greece, between 2021 and 2022, Phase II will run for three more years (September 2023 – September 2026). The first phase of “Together in Sport” was co-funded by the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) and the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund of the EU (TAME – AMIF). For its  second phase, the project has once again applied for co – funding from AMIF.

BAMF will continue to financially support and coordinate the project, which will promote social cohesion and peaceful coexistence between young adults aged 18 to 21 and underage (incl. unaccompanied) asylum seekers and locals, as well as children and young adults with mental and/or physical disabilities. Over the next three years, at least 10.000 children and young adults will participate in free regular sport trainings and one-off events, as well as in cultural activities, across various locations in Greece, starting in Athens and Piraeus.

The President and founder of METAdrasi, Mrs. Lοra Pappa, and HOC Secretary General, Mr. Manolis Kolympadis, in the opening speech of the event, welcomed the attendees and thanked the main actors of the project for their significant contribution to the success of its first phase.

The President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, IOC Μember and President of the European Olympic Committees, Spyros Capralos, emphasized in a recorded message: “We are committed to integration and the promotion of peaceful coexistence through sport – especially in times like these, when there are wars and conflicts, sport can be an example of a world in which everyone accepts the same rules and respects each other.”

Distinguished personalities spoke at the event, including the Greek Deputy Minister for Migration and Asylum, Sofia Voultepsi, the Secretary General of Sport, Giorgos Mavrotas, the Head of the BAMF Directorate General 9, International Tasks, Migration Policy, Karin Patock, the Head of the International Relations Department of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), Katrin Grafarend, and the representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Greece, Maria Clara Martin.

The launch event highlighted the achievements of Phase I and included impactful statements from participating volunteer coaches and elite athletes while the centerpiece of the event was the presentation of “Together in Sport – Phase II” by METAdrasi and HOC, which highlighted the expanded scope and commitment to bridging gaps in the community.

As the project moves into this exciting new phase, the focus remains on bringing children and young adults, with or without a refugee background, together through sport, creating lasting connections, and breaking down stereotypes and prejudices.