Sport has always offered a dose of excitement and pride both collectively and nationally.

The recent successes of our athletes in athletics, swimming, rowing, gymnastics are just a “cover” for the summer “spring” experienced by Greek sports, the success of which the country is proud of.

The attention may be unfair to other big successes in smaller categories (which are also the future of our sport), but also to “quiet” efforts, such as the efforts of the national volleyball team, which received an unbeaten ticket to Eurovolley 2023.

But we wondered why Greece manages to stand out in such an internationally competitive field as sports? What lessons can this teach Greek society?

The basic equation for success is multi-factorial and certainly includes talent and effort that, when combined, can take you to the top of the world. From now on, the right conditions (infrastructure, know-how, support, environment, motivation…) are needed to achieve maximum sports performance.

And since you are just as good at sports as you were last time, this effort must be continuous, because evaluation is also continuous.

The use of talent in systematic work, proper planning, harmonization of individual motives to achieve a common goal and having role models are some of the success lessons that sport teaches Greek society.

I will focus on the latter. Why is the role of Drisbiotis, Tedoglu, Jango, Petrunia, Christos, Papakonstantinou and all the other children who distinguished themselves these days important?

Because they will be a “magnet” to attract (or retain) children in sports. High sport is nurtured by childhood dreams and posters in children’s rooms. The top of the sports pyramid needs a wide base in order for the sports building to be strong.

On the other hand, building a broad base requires a high peak to attract children with dreams and aspirations. Thus, the championship and sport are communicating vessels: if one dries up, the other dries up.

And it is precisely because sport is a social tool and, by all accounts, the best means of integration, inclusion, elimination of inequality and elimination of discrimination, that we need these standards so that as much of our society as possible goes through school, what is called sport.

* Mr. Giorgos Mavrotas is the General Secretary of Sports.