Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letympiotis referred to the symbolic presence of two young women who performed the national anthem in Cypriot Sign Language, in a post on X.
Mr. Letympiotis referred to yesterday’s Cyprus-Armenia match at the GSP Stadium, where Gabriella Timotheou and Ariana Floureskou performed the national anthem in Cypriot Sign Language.
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He describes it as “a deeply moving scene,” noting that “language, expression, and participation do not have just one form.”
The Government Spokesperson also emphasized the importance of Sign Language for the Deaf community, noting that it is a language of communication, identity, and equal participation.
According to him, “true inclusion begins when accessibility ceases to be treated as an exception or a nice gesture and becomes a self-evident right.”
Mr. Letympiotis goes on to note that the presence of Gabriella and Ariana at the stadium conveyed “a visual representation of a very meaningful message”—that Cyprus is a country where every person has the opportunity to participate, express themselves, and feel that they belong.
In closing, he congratulated Gabriella Timotheou and Ariana Floureskou, the “Georgios Markou” School for the Deaf “Georgios Markou” School for the Deaf, and the Cyprus Football Federation for the initiative.
“Because a society is heard more loudly when it learns to make room for every form of expression,” he notes.
There are moments that don’t need a voice to be heard loud and clear.
Yesterday’s moment at GSP Stadium during the Cyprus-Armenia match, when Gabriella Timotheou and Ariana Floureskou performed the national anthem in Cypriot Sign Language, was one of those moments.
AdvertisementA deeply moving image,… pic.twitter.com/xjjVLFpOUQ
— Konstantinos Letymbiotis (@letymbiotis) October 3, 2026
