Recommended Venues
Information
Weather
Getting Married
Ayia Napa Map
Driving
Wining & Dining
Lingo
Special Olympic Football Groups & Final Standings (Update)
During the first week of November last year, a Special Olympics 7-a-side football tournament took place in Ayia Napa (see a previous article).
In total ten teams participated in the European Football Tournament from 9 countries. Participants were split in three groups according to degree of ability: Gibraltar, Montenegro and Greece were placed in group A; Luxembourg, Cyprus 1 and Estonia in group B and Belgium, Cyprus 2, Israel and Malta in group C. Unfortunately, Moldova & Monaco were not able to come and Turkey announced at the last minute that they wouldn't come due to "sickness".
The final standings are not of great importance to these athletes, but more that the chance that they can take part in such a way as to represent their Country despite them not having the same ability as most people. For them, every time they take part in these sorts of events, they are winners no matter what the result. For the records though: Cyprus itself managed to win both of its groups. Of the other countries which took part Gibraltar won the other group, Luxembourg finished in their group second and Malta finished fourth in theirs. Further information can be found via the following sites, the UEFA report (on pg 13), Cyprus SO site and European SO site as well as the Spirit Magazine (Special Olympics Review)
Available Final Group Standings:
Group A - Gibraltar Winners, Greece/Montenegro, and Montenegro/Greece.
Group B - Cyprus Winners, Estonia, Luxembourg.
Group C - Cyprus Winners, Belgium/Israel, Israel/Belgium, Malta.
Special Thanks goes to a friend who managed to send me the copy of the Spirit Magazine via e-mail for me to help complete this article.
