LAUSANNE, Switz., Oct. 5, 2020—The FIE is saddened to be informed of the passing of Yiannis Hadjiarapis, president of the Cyprus Fencing Federation (CFF), on October 2.
Born in Limassol, Cyprus on August 11, 1946, Mr. Hadjiarapis attended Sussex University in the UK and became a hotelier. In 1986, he followed Mr. Ouranios Ionnidis as president of the Cyprus Fencing Federation and remained in the position until now. He also served as a member of the Mediterranean Fencing Confederation.
In a statement about Mr. Hadjiarapis, the CFF said he “…was a kind man, one of the pioneers in fencing, a fighter and a pure fan of the sport”.
During his tenure as CFF president, Cyprus began hosting an FIE satellite world cup competition, the Aphrodite Cup. From 2005 to today, clubs in Cyprus increased from one to five, with Cypriot athletes increasingly participating in world competition. “The work and selfless contribution of Yiannis Hadjiarapis for the development and dissemination of fencing will remain indelible in everyone’s memory”, said the CFF.
During an “extraordinary” session of the Cyprus Fencing Federation, the remaining members decided to name an annual competition, the “Yiannis Hadjiarapis Cup”, in his honour, to close national training centers on the day of his funeral (October 5) and to observe a minute of silence for him at the Pancyprian Championship with the event dedicated to his memory.
On behalf of the world fencing family, the FIE offers sincere condolences to Mr. Hadjiarapis’ family and friends, the Cyprus Fencing Federation and the European Fencing Confederation, and we express our deepest sympathy during this difficult time.