The Minister of National Defence Mr. Panos Panagiotopoulos underlined the need to gather, as Nation and as Hellenic society, around the traditional values that held Hellenism standing during the hardest times of its history, in his speech during a celebration organised under his auspices, at the Thessaloniki War Museum, by the Pan-Hellenic Athletic Association “KALLIPATEIRA”, in order to honour the mothers of Olympic medallists at the Olympic Games of Beijing 2008 and of London 2012, on the occasion of Mother’s Day.

Mr. Panagiotopoulos, after complimenting the initiative taken by the Chairman of the Association and Greece’s Ambassador for Sports, Tolerance & Fair Play to the European Council, Ms. Katerina Panagopoulou underlined that among these values that are significant for our society’s present and future is the family that has been and will carry on being the connective tissue of Hellenic society.

Referring to the Olympic Medallists’ successes which derived –as he said– from daily hard effort and privation of valuable personal time for each and every one of them, Mr. Panagiotopoulos pointed out the decisive contribution of the family, and especially the Mother, so as to accomplish these goals.

For this reason – the Minister concluded – besides the Olympic Medallists, we all owe a lot to the Greek Mother.

The Pan-Hellenic Athletic Association “KALLIPATEIRA” rewarded the mothers of the following Olympic Medallists: Alexandros Nikolaidis, Vassilios Polymeros, Sofia Bekatorou, Piyi Devetzi, Ilias Iliadis, Christina Yiazitzidou, Alexandra Tsiavou, Dimitrios Mougios, Sofia Papadopoulou and Virginia Kravarioti.

The event, during which Mr. Panagiotopoulos awarded to Ms. Katerina Panagopoulou the coat of Arms of the Ministry of National Defence of the Hellenic Republic, was attended by the Minister of Macedonia and Thrace Mr. Theodoros Karaogolou, the MP of A’ Electoral District of Thessaloniki for the ‘Nea Demokratia’ party Mr. Georgios Orfanos, the Metropolitan of Thessaloniki Anthimos, the Secretary General of Sports Ms. Kyriaki Yiannakidou, the regional Governor of Central Macedonia Mr. Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff Lieutenant General Athanassios Tselios, the Commander of the C’ Army Corps/NRDC-GR Lieutenant General Nikolaos Devetzis, and several delegates of the local Administration.