The European Olympic Committees President, Spyros Capralos, was awarded the “Order of the Rising Sun” at Japan’s Embassy in Athens earlier this month in recognition of his excellent work in organising the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and in strengthening Greek and Japanese relations.
The “Order of the Rising Sun” is a Japanese decoration of honour that is awarded by the Japanese government to individuals around the world who have made distinguished contributions to the advancement of Japan.
Capralos was awarded the order by the Ambassador of Japan to Greece, Yasunori Nakayama.
President Capralos, who is also an International Olympic Committee member and President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, said: “This is a great honour for me. It is something special, as special were the Olympic Games organised in Tokyo.”
“To gather so many people under these difficult conditions is something that only people like the Japanese with discipline, determination and passion for sports can achieve.”
Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador of Japan to Greece, Yasunori Nakayama said: “The government of my country decided to award President Capralos as a sign of recognition for his great contribution to the success of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.”
“With his continuous efforts and decisions, the Lighting Ceremony and the Handover Ceremony of the Olympic Flame were successfully organised with safety measures due to the pandemic, while his support for the organisation of the Olympic Games was unstoppable.
“The difficulties we managed to overcome strengthened more the bonds between Greece and Japan and I want to express my gratitude and respect for the efforts he made not only to make the Games happen but also because they were particularly successful,” Nakayama concluded.
SOURCE: European Olympic Committees
