Cyprus clinched 16th place among 72 countries in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham earlier this month, winning 11 medals – two gold, three silver and six bronze.
The Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades took to Twitter congratulating Cyprus’ team medal haul, saying “Congratulations to our athletes for their excellent achievements and the 11 medals at the Commonwealth Games. Allow me to make a special reference to our ‘golden’ Elias Georgiou & Giorgos Balarsjishvili who raised our country to the highest podium.”
The Cyprus News Agency described Cyprus’ performance as “very satisfactory”, especially in view of the fact that there were no shooting events in Birmingham, where Cyprus had excelled at previous Commonwealth Games.
Georgios Balarjishvili won the gold in judo in the 66kg category, and Elias Georgiou also won the gold medal in gymnastics.
Anna Sokolova secured two silver medals in rhythmic gymnastics, and Sokratis Pilakouris one silver in gymnastics.
The six bronze medals were won by Alexandros Poursanidis in the hammer throw, Anna Sokolova in rhythmic gymnastics, plus the men’s gymnastics team (Marios Georgiou, Elias Georgiou, Georgios Angonas, Sokratis Pilakouris and Michalis Chari), also won bronze, and three bronze medals were won too by Marios Georgiou in gymnastics.
Team head Giorgos Papageorgiou told CNA that the team had achieved their target with the medals haul. Papageorgiou expressed great satisfaction saying that “a small island of one million population has managed to take 16th place among 72 countries, with 11 medals, two gold, three silver and six bronze.”
The Cypriot team celebrated their first ever Bronze medal, with a Cypriot-style feast at Birmingham-run Kouzina Greek.
Paul Polyviou, owner of Kouzina Greek, said: “It was an honour to welcome the Cyprus team to Kouzina and give them a taste of home here in Birmingham. It was an incredibly proud moment for Cyprus to win their first Bronze medal and I’m delighted that we were able to help them celebrate this momentous occasion”.
Cyprus has competed in ten previous Commonwealth Games, making their first appearance in 1978, and missing only one Games since, in 1986.
Birmingham handed over the Commonwealth Games mantle to the 2026 host, Melbourne.
