Cyprus Basketball Federation responds to school tournament scandal

The Cyprus Basketball Federation (KOK) has addressed the controversy surrounding a Panhellenic School Basketball Championship semifinal held in Paphos last March between Elliniko College Thessaloniki and Anagennisi Patras. The match, which saw a late reversal in results, has come under scrutiny due to officiating concerns, specifically regarding the high volume of free throws awarded to the winning team.

Louis Demetriou, President of KOK, stated that the federation is not responsible for the event as it was organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Education. He noted that while the federation provided one referee, the officiating crew ultimately consisted of two Greek referees and one Cypriot. Demetriou remarked that anyone viewing the video of the game can understand the situation, describing the occurrence of 52 free throws in a record amount of time as highly unusual.

Parents of the Elliniko College students have expressed deep distress, reporting that many children were left in tears and some even considered quitting the sport due to the perceived injustice and psychological pressure experienced during the game.