“Make Place for One More Woman” is an institution that honors and highlights the actions of those who contribute to creating an ideal environment for more women in sports,” said water polo champion Voula Kozompoli and added: “I cordially would like to thank my associates for the event, the Deputy Minister for honoring the event with his presence, the Mayor of Nea Smyrni for the co-organization, and congratulate once again all the awarded ones.”

Among the people who were awarded for their contribution was also the World Taekwondo Media Committee Vice-Chairwoman, Mrs. Effie Zikouli, receiving her award by the former Minister of Sports, Fani Palli-Petralia.

In detail, Mrs. Zikouli was awarded for her contribution to sports and especially Taekwondo, in national as well as international level. “It is a great honor for me to receive this award through an IOC-promoted project, aiming to empower and promote the role of women in sports.” said Zikouli, adding: “Among the World Taekwondo Europe 51 member national federations, there only one female President; the one of British Taekwondo, representing the UK”, and she evidently pinpointed the need to increase the presence of women in leading positions for the sport.

Taekwondo Europe as an active supporter of actions that promote social inclusion, gender equality and fortify the rights of social and civil minorities, congratulates Mrs. Zikouli for her award and aspires to find many more women as ‘champions’ in taekwondo administrative positions, both continentally and internationally.

Representatives of various sports were also awarded, as Tatiana Kavvadia, Basketball Olympic Champion and founder ‘We Love Basketball for Girls’, where young girls are motivated to develop and be developed through basketball.

 

 

• Mum and daughter Karate Champions and coaches Georgina Xenou and Mariza Soubasaki, who show the power of women through their personal adventures.
• Dimitra Korokida as a Paralympic sphere athlete, active in coaching and entrepreneurship·
• Stella Lazarou, President of the Nautical Club of Vouliagmeni, with many years of sports administrative experience.
• Vasilis Menoudis, former Volleyball professional athlete, actively promoting participation of women in sports and gender equality.
• Xenia Argiataki, former athletics athlete, Ph.D. holder, the first elected woman in the Hellenic Olympic Committee, Vice-President of Hellenic Athletics Federation and Chair of the Sports and Women Committee.
• Ioanna Moraitis, Ping Pong medalist in Mediterranean and Balkan championships, Ph.D. holder and Director of the General Secretariat of Sports in Greece.
• Georgia Fyrigou, water polo and swimming champion, diving coach, with a managerial role in the FINA World Federation and the LEN Pan-European Federation.
• Christina Galanopoulou, track n field athlete with extensive volunteer experience, founder of ‘Girls Team Galanopoulou’, aiming to inspire young girls with the values of Olympism and volunteering.
• Erasmia Laskaris, regent of the Women’s National Teams in Greece, who contributed in the successful collaboration of the Hellenic Handball Federation with the ‘Make Place for one more Woman’ foundation.
• The Hellenic Beach Handball team’s players, Magda Keepsidou, Nikolina Keepsidou, Pimenidou Eleni, Kerlidi Elena, and Dimitriou Apostolina were awarded a special prize after winning the Beach Handball World Championship in Kazan 2018, bringing the biggest distinction for both women’s and men’s sport nationally.

About “Make a Place for One More Woman” program

Make Place for One More Woman is a program that unites the Olympic champions, distinguished athletes, members of the Olympic Movement, sports executives and prestigious personalities, with the ultimate goal of “creating a place for one more woman”! The program was inspired by the President of the Greek Olympic Champions Club Voula Kozompoli, following her awarding by the International Olympic Committee with the “Woman & Sport of 2015” Prize for the European Continent.

 

MasTKD Team