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Page 08
SPORTS
Sports in
Cyprus has always been carried out separately among the Turkish Cypriots and
Greek Cypriots. The Greek Cypriots
established their District Athletic organisations and the Turkish Cypriot
established their athletic Meetings late in the 19th Century or early in the
20th Century; but there were no inter-communal sporting activities or
meetings! During the same period Greek and Turkish Cypriot established their
separate football clubs but did not organise tournaments. Mixed
Turkish-Greek town soccer team matches were turned down by the Greek Cypriot
as in the case of a friendly Nicosia-Larnaca match early in 1920's when the
Larnaca Greek Soccer Team refused to play a mixed soccer team from Nicosia-
this friendly match took place only after the exclusion of the Nicosia
Turkish Cypriots players!
All the
District Greek Cypriot Athletic Organisations were affiliated to the
hellenic athletic Organisation of Greece, known as sages; and their primary
aims were to foster hellenistic national instincs and they openly propagated
for the Union of Cyprus with Greece = ENOSIS , the Greek Cypriots refused to
allow Turkish Cypriot athletes to compete in their competitions.
Prior to 1934,
the only Greek and Turkish Cypriot sporting contact was limited to one or
two so called "friendly" football matches which usually took place during
the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot religious holidays. During the same
period whilst athletics and football (the only two popular sports branches)
were mainly limited to Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot and foreign
secondary schools; a very limited number of clubs were also active. In any
case, the secondary schools were the main sources of athletes and football
players .Hockey, Volley-ball and lawn tennis were played on a very limited
basis. With the improvement of relationship between the Turkish and Greek
nations and the ensuing Ataturk-Venizelos initiated Greece-Turkish
Friendship Pact,sporting relationship between the Turkish Cypriot and Greek
Cypriot clubs were started and Turkish and other athletes were allowed to
participate in the Pancyprian games. Turkish Cypriots athletes were able to
compete against athletes from the Greek Cypriot and scored excellent
results.
Unofficial
football tournaments started with first among the Greek Cypriot and later on
Turkish Cypriot clubs joined in. (As a result of these developments, and
mainly due to the differences among the Greek Cyprus football clubs, "the
cyprus football association", better known as K.O.P., was established on the
23rd day of september 1934 with 8 "founding members" - 3 all greek cypriot
clubs, -1 all Turkish Cypriot club and 4 clubs with Turkish Cypriot and
Greek Cypriot players.) After this "land-mark" development, the sporting
relationship between Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot clubs and spectators
steadily improved, the standart of football was raised and 1948 The Cyprus
Football Association was affiliated to F.I.F.A. as a British Colonial F.A.
Turkish Cypriot were given a seat on the executive Committe of Cyprus F.A.
However,as all the stadiums were Greek Orthodox Church owned, Turkish
Cypriots was never allowed to serve on these stadium committees. During the
period of 1934-1955, the sporting feelings,relationships and solidarity,the
pancyprian athletic events and competitions gathered strength; and the
people of Cyprus (Greeks and Turks) as a whole were rewarded with first
class competitions. Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot umpires and referees
also increased in number and improved greatly in standards.
Turkish Cypriot
athletes and players excelled in short distance field events, football, lawn
tennis, wrestling, boxing etc. Turkish Cypriot referees were in the
fore-most and officiated in most of the key matches.
The
unfavourable state of affairs of pre-1934 were turned into fruitful
developments and the Turkish Cypriots and Greek were enabled to act and
watch sportsmenlike competitions and the inter-communal relationships were
also favourably influenced.
Unfortunately,
all these pleasant sporting developments were ended abruptly in April 1955
when E.O.K.A. (Greek Cypriot Terrorist Organisation) struck with the sole
aim of uniting Cyprus with Greece.
a. Turkish
Cypriot clubs/teams were forced out of the jointly established Cyprus F.A.;
and
b. All Turkish
Cypriot athletes and players entrance were refused into the Greek Cyprus
stadiums. Thus, once again, after the lapse of only 21 years Turkish Cypriot
and Greek Cypriots.
When E.O.K.A.
struck and the Turkish Cypriot were forced out of the jointly established
Cyprus F.A.(better known as K.O.P.)-
a. of the 10
division I. clubs,
one was a Turkish Cypriot club;
b. of the 11
division II. clubs, four were Turkish Cypriot clubs.
c. in football
Çetinkaya were league, cup and shield champions on numerous occasions in
division I.
d. in athletics
Turkish Cypriot athlets were the leading athletes and record holders in
almost all the short distance events;
e. in lawn
tennis for very long periods Turkish Cypriot tennis players were the
Pancyprian champions in singles, doubles and mixed doubles;
f. in Secondary
School football championships the Turkish Cypriot Secondary School were the
Pancyprian champions on numerous occasions;
g. in Hockey
Turkish Cypriots team reached the finals on very many occasions; and
numerous Turkish Cypriot players were invited to take part in the "select"
Cyprus teams;
h. Turkish
Cypriot referees and umpires were among the leading ones in their respective
fields ; and
i. in wrestling
and boxing only Turkish Cypriots were active!
Republic of Cyprus was handed over
jointly to the Greek Cypriot and Turkish by the departing Colonial
Government of the United Kingdom. And the Constitution of the short-lived
Republic of Cyprus provided for Bi-communal government and joint
administration. In view of the serious tension among the two communities and
because of the impossibility of joint and/ or mixed sporting activities the
Constitution exclusively provided for Independent Turkish Cypriot and Greek
Cypriot sporting federations and/or sporting clubs; but also leaved "an open
door for mixed sporting activities and/or federations if the Turkish Cypriot
and the Greek Cypriot so desired! And indeed until today, separate clubs
laws are in force in the Greek and Turkish sector of Cyprus.
During the very
short period of 1960-1963, neither the Turkish Cypriot nor the Greek Cypriot
were able to form their respective federations for separate recognition by
the International Federations and the I.O.C.
The Greek
Cypriot aided and abetted by the Hellenic Governments of Greece, embarked on
a fresh onslaught on the Turkish Cypriot between 1963-1968 the period Cyprus
was occupied by Greece; Although the Hellenic Occupying Army Brigade was
eventually forced out of the Island, all sporting activities had ceased for
a period of five years: After the official evacuation of the Mainland Greek
Army Units from the Island sporting activities were stated again - but this
time on a more lasting "separation" lines. The Turkish Cypriot established
their independent sporting federations (as per the mandatory articles of the
Constitution which the Greek Cypriot had destroyed; and the Turkish Cypriot
federations began applying for affiliation to the international
federations. Below is a short picture of the Turkish Cypriot sporting
federations;-
a. The Cyprus
Turkish F.F. was established in 1955, soon after the Greek Cypriot refused
to allow Turkish Cypriot clubs to take part in the football activities; the
Turkish Cypriot F.F. has been organising annual events and international
events even since; though FIFA granted a Special Permission, no formal FIFA
affiliation has been forthcoming;
b. The Turkish
Cypriot Wrestling Federation was established in 1967 and was affiliated to
F.I.L.A. in 1971 and continued as a full member up to and including 1977;
c. The Turkish
Cypriot Volley-ball Federation was established in 1970 and was affiliated to
F.I.V.B. in 1972 and continued to be a full member up to and including 1977;
d. The Turkish
Cypriot Cycling Federation was established in 1970 and was affiliated to
F.I.A.C in 1971 and its affiliation continued up to and including 1979;
e. The Turkish
Cypriot Amateur Athletic Federation was established in 1970 and in 1971
became a provisional member of I.A.A.F. but this provisional status was
terminated in 1972;
f. The Turkish
Cypriot Table Tennis Federation was established in 1971 but its affiliation
to I.T.T.F. is still pending; this Turkish Cypriot Federation was
semi-officially established in 1944 and its Teams were the Pancyprian
champions for four consecutive years when activities came to an end;
g. The Turkish
Cypriot Shooting Federation was established in 1971 but its affiliation to
U.I.T. is still pending;
h. The Turkish
Cypriot Aquatic sports Federation was established in 1971 and its
affiliation to F.I.N.A. is still pending;
i. The Turkish
Cypriot Gymnastic Federation was established in 1972 but its affiliation to
F.I.G. is pending;
j. The Turkish
Cypriot Lawn Tennis Federation was established in 1979 but its affiliation
to I.T.F. has not as yet been entertained;
k. The Turkish
Cypriot Basketball Federation was established in 1981 and is fast becoming
one of the most popular branch of sports. Its affiliation to FIBA is being
considered.
l. The Turkish
Cypriot Teakwondo Federation was established in 1977 and became a full
member of the W.T.F. and E.T.U. in 1977 and continued its full membership
right up to and including 1990; but since then its membership has been
"frozen";
m. The Turkish
Cypriot Chess Federation was established in 1985 but its affiliation to
F.I.D.E. is still pending.
n. The Turkish
Cypriot Ameteur Boxing Federation was established in 1990 and arrangements
are being made for the submission of formal application for affiliation to
A.I.B.A.
Most of the
Greek Cypriot federations were established after the establishment of the
Turkish Cypriots federations (except Greek Cypriot TTF which was established
in 1963); and through all sorts of unsportsmanlike "tactics", "intrigues"
and "political nachinations" the Mainland Hellenic Federations and Greek
Cypriots Federations "managed" to become affiliated whilst the affiliation
of the Turkish Cypriots Federations were either "Frozen" or "terminated
pending a final political solution to the Cyprus Problem".
For purely
political reasons, the Turkish Cypriots athletes and players and indeed
sporting administrators are being prevented from joining the international
family of sporting youth. The occupation of the whole of Cyprus by mainland
Greek armed forces from 1963 to 1974; the overthrow of the Greek Cypriot
Makarios Regime by the mainland Greek Armed Force in July 1974; Partial
occupation of Cyprus by the mainland Greek armed force in July 1974 to date
for the only purpose of uniting the whole of Cyprus with Greece are the real
reasons for the present day stale mate in sports !
Because of the
joint unsporting attitude of the Hellenes and Greeks, the Turkish Cypriots
sporting Federations were not and are not given the right To explain their
position and defend their constitutional sporting rights and Defeat the
Greeks' accusations. Knowingly or not the International Sporting Federations
and the I.O.C. (contrary to their Statues) are discriminating against the
Turkish Cypriots on national, racial religious, social, language and
political grounds.
The Turkish
Citizens, and The Greek Citizens, as per the 1960 Constitution, belong to
different racial, national, religious, language, social and political
groups. It is because of these major differences that the official languages
of Cyprus are Turkish and Greek.
The Hellens and
the Greek Cypriot are to such an extend anti-Turkish that when-
1.
BJK of Istanbul were drawn to play A.P.O.E.L.
(Hellenic
Athletic and Football Club of Nicosia) of the Greek Sector of Nicosia, the
Greek Cypriot Administration and the Greek Cypriot Orthodox Church refused
to allow them to play with the Turkish Team either in Nicosia or in
Istanbul; and the fines imposed by U.E.F.A. were met by the Greek Cypriot
Church and Administration;
2.
International Taekwando referee who had arrived at the Greek
side of Cyprus, was not given permission to cross over to the Turkish side
where an international E.T.U. Tournament was being staged; and he had to
return to the airport.
The Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus is a full-fledged independent country with its
boundaries, population of about 210,047 with all the democratic institutions
of a democratic country. There are about 345 sporting clubs, 14 national
sporting federations with about 31,704 registered athletes and players. Most
of the Clubs own their free-hold premises and sporting grounds.
One of the 10
Ministries in the TRNC is The Sports and Youth Ministry. Major national
stadiums and indoor games halls are under the control of the Ministry; the
national stadium in Nicosia is on Olympic Standards and it has a capacity of
20,000. There are also major stadiums and in the main towns with 2,000 to
5,000 capacities.
Article 2 of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides: "Everyone is entitled to
all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without
distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion,
political and other opinion,national or social origin, birth or other
status.
Furthermore, no
discrimination shall be made on the basis of the political jurisdiction or
international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs,
whether it is independent,
trust, non-self-governing or under any other
limitation of sovereignty."
On the other
hand, the rules of The International Olympic Committee state, inter alia,
that "no discrimination shall be made at all contests organised by national
federations on grounds of race, religion or politics; and that where
countries or federations make such discrimination such countries or
federations or the I.O.C."
The Turkish
Cypriot youth is the sole exception in the whole world that is being denied
from activities.
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