According to the timeline provided by the KOA, the parents of athletes say they will have to be patient for another six weeks while repairs are made to the Limassol Olympic Swimming Pool, emphasizing that the temporary suspension of operations is causing serious problems for their athletic training as well as their school commitments.
About 15 parents of athletes gathered on Wednesday morning outside the Limassol Olympic Swimming Pool, where repair work is underway to critical electrical and mechanical installations and systems, which were caused by severe weather last month.
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Speaking on behalf of the parents, Yiannis Thrasyvoulou stated that the swimming center has been closed since August 30, affecting approximately 1,200 athletes, 800 swimmers and 400 water polo players, adding that the Limassol, Famagusta, and Mesa Geitonia Nautical Clubs train at the facility.
“Everyone is finding solutions at other swimming pools,” he said, adding that the water polo athletes were moved to the Tsirion Indoor Swimming Pool, with practices ending in the evening at 10:40 p.m., while noting that the conditions of a smaller, indoor pool are not suitable for intensive training.
Noting that the children who have not stopped training are forced to go to bed around midnight, he asked “how we can then expect them to perform well in school and in sports.”
He also pointed out that “this is the preseason, a time when new kids are signing up for the sport, which means the sport is falling behind, because September is a critical period,” and emphasized that “we realized that if we didn’t publicize the problem, no one would pay any attention to us.”
Expressing the hope of all those affected that the six-week timeline would be met, Yiannis Thrasyvoulou called on the authorities to address the problem head-on because “there is no Plan B, and if the problem isn’t resolved, we’ll be left high and dry.”
Yesterday, the KOA stated in an announcement that “this is not a routine or isolated technical malfunction, but extensive damage resulting from the flooding caused by the natural disaster, the restoration of which requires a series of specialized technical interventions and comprehensive inspections before the facility can be safely returned to operation.”
Among other things, the KOA noted that, based on the current schedule, it is estimated that the required restoration work and necessary technical inspections will take approximately six weeks, provided that the work proceeds according to the planned schedules and no unforeseen technical difficulties arise.
He also stated that he recognizes the inconvenience experienced by the athletes, their families, and the clubs, and thanked them for their understanding, patience, and cooperation during this period, assuring them that his priority is the swiftest possible—but above all, safe—reopening of the Limassol Olympic Swimming Pool.
Source: CNA
