CISM International Symposium 2021 - Ancient Olympia (GRE) - Day 1

 

 

ANCIENT OLYMPIA (GRE) - After the meeting of the CISM 2021-3 Steering Committee which ended on Wednesday 3 November, the CISM International Symposium 2021 started yesterday with the Opening Session of the event during which General Hervé Piccirillo, CISM President, Colonel Dorah Mamby Koita, CISM Secretary General and Colonel Odisseas Paxinos, President of the CISM Sports Science Commission delivered a speech to welcome the participants.

“From the spring of 2020, the World faced the challenge to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. The gradual resumption of CISM activities is also important to maintain the link between the member countries and to reconnect with the CISM motto "Friendship through Sport”. That’s why, this face-to-face Symposium in Ancient Olympia proves that we have succeed together to win the battle against the virus.”, declared the CISM President.

“Through this symposium, CISM will create awareness amongst military leaders around the world on the contribution of sport as a vector for operational readiness, peacekeeping operations and better understanding between the armed forces and people of the world. We are here for 3 days to discuss military sport, history, science, management and related health subjects during this symposium entitled “Sport Science in the Birthplace of Olympics.”, concluded General Piccirillo.

 

 

The first day of the with a round table session about the history of Military Sports chaired by Colonel Fernando Luiz Nóbrega and Colonel Grigory Dmitriev.

 

The following presentations were also included in the first round table session : “The evolution in Sports” by Major Christoforos Christoforou, “From amateur to professional. Military sport in Italy, a model” by Lieutenant-Colonel Walter Borghino and “Military Institute of Physical Culture: 110 years at Army Service” by Major General Botsman Oleg.

 

The round table was followed by a presentation by Colonel Luiz Fernando Nobrega on the “The Route of Truce - a CISM International Sport and Peace Event.”

 

 

The afternoon started with a second round table on “Sports as an aspect of military life through the ages” cjaired by Major Jefferson Martinez Couto and Major Athinodoros Moschopoulos.

 

The following presentations were included in the second round table session : “Sports and military training in the Hellenistic Egypt” by Dr Aikaterini Samara of the Democritus Univiveristy of Thrace, “The Ephebeia as an institution for the athletic and military ability in the Hellenic world during the Hellenistic and Roman Imperial times” by Dr Nikolaos Kameas of the Democritus University of Thrace, “The Hellenic Armed Forces in the service of Greek sports” by Dr. Anestis Giannakopoulos of the Democritus University of Thrace, “The military physical education and sports from the liberation of Greece to the Olympic Games of 1896” by Major Athinodoros Moschopoulos of the Democritus University of Thrace.

 

 

The last round table session of the afternoon was chaired by Professor Andreas Flouris and Professor Yiannis Koutentakis with the topic of “Warrior fitness through the ages”.

 

The following presentations were included in the third round table session : “The Dendra panoply: discovery, character, significance” by Professor Ken and Diana Wardle of the University of Birmingham UK, “Physiological strain of the Dendra panoply wearer during a day in the Trojan War”, by Professor Andreas Flouris of the University of Thessaly, Greece, “Exercise for health: from antiquity to modern times” by Professor Yiannis Koutedakis of the University of Thessaly, Greece.

 

 

The first day of the CISM International Symposium 2021 came to an end with a lecture by Professor Evangelos Albanidis of the Democritus University of Thrace, Greece about “Gymnastics as a means of promoting the national morale and the military ability of modern Greeks inside and outside Greece until 1922: The case of Macedonia and Thrace.”

 

To re-watch the first day of the CISM International Symposium 2021.

 

 

At the end of a busy day for our participants, the Opening Ceremony took place in the evening.

 

The ceremony was attended by General Hervé Piccirillo, CISM President; Colonel Dorah Mamby Koita, CISM Secretary General; General Konstantinos Floros, Chief of the Hellenic Defense General Staff; Captain Spyridon Andriopoulos, Chief of the Greek Delegation to CISM; Mr. Isidoros Kouvelos, President of the International Olympic Academy; members of the CISM General Secretariat; representatives of the Greek Delegation to CISM as well as high-level national and international authorities.

 

 

Several speakers took the stage to welcome the participants: Captain Spyridon Andriopoulos, Chief of the Greek Delegation to CISM, Mr. Isidoros Kouvelos, ¨President of the International Olympic Academy and General Hervé Piccirillo, CISM President.

 

"Since the CISM creation, Greece has played a major role in the development and influence of our institution in the world. The Greek Armed Forces joined CISM 71 years ago, in 1950. Since then, the country has always been active with the organisation of almost 30 World Military Championships, the 72nd General Assembly in 2017, and the participation of Greek teams in more than 290 CISM events," said the CISM President.

 

 

“The Greek Delegation to CISM chose Ancient Olympia to be the host city for the CISM International Symposium 2021, as it is a place intertwined with international sports and the beginning of Olympism. Baron Pierre de Coubertin saw the contemporary Olympic Games as the spark of world peace and unity. The dream became reality on 25 March 1896, when the first Olympic Games of the modern era were held in Athens. The Hellenic armed forces played a major role in the organisation of this historic event. The principles of the Olympic Games are the same as the CISM values: solidarity, friendship, resilience, unity, no discrimination, no exclusion.”, added General Piccirillo.

 

“Through this symposium, CISM aims to raise awareness among military leaders around the world of the contribution of sport to operational readiness, peacekeeping operations and better understanding between armed forces. Through its missions, CISM contributes to security and peace in the world.”, concluded the CISM President.

 

General Konstantinos Floros, Chief of the Hellenic Defence Staff, then took the floor to welcome the participants and declare the CISM International Symposium 2021 officially open.

 

 

The CISM President then awarded the CISM Order of Merit Medal (Grand Officer) to the Minister of National Defence of Greece, Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, who unfortunately could not attend the Ceremony due to obligations, and to General Konstantinos Floros (Officer). The CISM Order of Merit Medal is awarded by the Board of Directors to any person who, by his actions, has demonstrated the ideals and objectives of Cism and who, by his personal performance, has contributed to the development of sport in the armed forces, has rendered outstanding service to the cause of CISM.

 

 

To close the Opening Ceremony, Colonel Dorah Mamby Koita, CISM Secretary General, presented a commemorative plaque to Mr. Isidoros Kouvelos, President of the International Olympic Academy, for the valuable and generous support given to ICEM in its activities.

See you today for the second day of the CISM International Symposium 2021.

You can watch it live here!

 

 

Find here the full programme of the CISM International Symposium 2021 !

 

(Source: CISM Media & Communication Department)