Dear friends,

The countdown to the London Olympic Games has already begun, as we are only a few months ahead of this major sport event and the Hellenic Olympic Committee focuses on the best possible representation of our country in the Games.

After intensive efforts and constant negotiations, we have reached an agreement with OPAP S.A. that will become Great Sponsor of the Pre-Olympic Team for “LONDON 2012”. This way, we have secured significant amounts that will be solely appropriated for the best preparation of our athletes. The agreement with OPAP SA is a valuable aid for Greek sports, especially on a moment when the state has stopped providing sums to the HOC for the Olympic preparation.

We have also signed a sponsorship agreement with BMW, OLYMPIC AIR, SAMSUNG, PROCTER & GAMBLE and at the same time we have renewed our agreement with ADIDAS. These companies will provide significant help in view of the 2012 Olympic Games.

If we add to the above mentioned the subsidies we secured by the IOC for 22 athletes of individual sports and the national water polo women’s team, we feel truly satisfied with the outcome of our efforts that allow us to ensure the best possible preparation environment for the sport youth of our country, especially in the middle of the major economical crisis that is hitting Greece.

At the same time, we have created - based on criteria - the funding rules of the sport federations for the Pre-Olympic preparation, and have announced the Pre-Olympic Team, so that women and men athletes can continue their training for London undistracted.

All these efforts, in combination with numerous important successes for Greece in the last months, in World and European Championships in various sports, ages and categories, fill me with certainty and optimism, that we will celebrate altogether new “blue and white” successes the coming summer in the British capital.

We organised with great success the Lighting Ceremony of the Flame for the first Youth Winter Olympic Games “INNSBRUCK 2012” that held on December 17^th at the Panathenaic Stadium. The other significant challenges ahead are the Lighting Ceremony for the Flame for the “LONDON 2012” Olympic Games, on May 10^th in Ancient Olympia and the Hand Over Ceremony of the Flame on May 17^th at the Panathenaic Stadium.

Therefore, I would like to assure you that the HOC will continue working with high sense of responsibility, with program and vision in order to offer to Greek sport and to our society the ideals and most of all the hope we all need in these difficult times.

Ολυμπιακά Αθλήματα / Θερινοί Αγωνες

Ολυμπιακά Αθλήματα / Χειμερινοί Αγωνες