As part of the youth exchange in the Republic of Cyprus, participants from Bulgaria and Cyprus took part in special training and an inspiring meeting at the Olympic Shooting Range in Larnaca—a place where silence becomes a teacher and breathing a path to inner strength.
Irini Panteli, a prominent air pistol shooting athlete, delivered a powerful and emotional lecture. She is a philosopher at heart and someone who transforms sports into a message of peace. “Strength does not come from the weapon, but from inner peace.” – Irini Panteli.
Born in Famagusta, a city left on the northern side of the divided island, Irini shared with touching sincerity her story of childhood during wartime, the fear that divides people, and the forgiveness that unites them. “As a child, I was afraid of the Turks because that’s what we were told. Years later, I met people from Turkey and realized they are humans too. War is not necessary. Peace begins with understanding the other.” Her life is a journey between pain and hope, between discipline and freedom. Bulgaria also holds an important place in this journey—during her youth, Irini studied at the National Sports Academy, where she gained the foundation of professionalism and friendship, which she later passed on to generations of young athletes. She fondly recalls her encounter with Maria Grozdeva, the legendary Olympic champion, of whom Irini became a spiritual godmother. Today, with a smile, she also speaks of her spiritual son, the Bulgarian swimmer Kaloyan Lefterov, with whom she shares the same quest for balance and strength of spirit.
The official Bulgarian delegation supporting institutional visits includes:
– Rositsa Kirova – Member of Parliament and Chair of the Committee on Direct Citizen Participation
– Petar Mladenov – Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports
– Tanya Mikhaylova – Chief of Staff to the Minister of Education and Science
– Monika Yanakieva – Director at the Center for Human Resource Development
• Colonel Petar Kindalov – Commander of the National Guard Unit
– Col. Iliya Milushev – Advisor to the President of the Republic of Bulgaria
• Mariana Shoteva – Chairperson of the Administrative Court – Plovdiv
• Джузепе Де Франческо – Honorary Consul of Italy in Plovdiv
• Iliana Andonova – Representative of the Embassy of Cyprus in Bulgaria
During the training, participants went through practical lessons on concentration and breath control, as well as exercises for tolerance and emotional balance—qualities essential not only in shooting but in life as well.
Under the guidance of Markos Kontopoulos, an experienced marksman, and with the support of Andreas Georgiou, part of the management at the Olympic Shooting Range in Larnaca, the youths mastered the principles of sports concentration—blocking out the world’s noise, hearing only their pulse, and sensing the moment when thought, sight, and movement become one.
“When you learn to hit the target in shooting, you begin to hit the target in life as well.”
This training was not just an encounter with sport, but a lesson in philosophy, patience, and respect, on how to view the world not through the lens of opposition, but through the lens of understanding.
The event was made possible with the assistance of the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Bulgaria, whose partnership contributes to strengthening bilateral relations and the successful realization of the visit.
The “Youth Guard Detachments” Association holds accreditation No. 2025-1-BG01-KA151-YOU-000297794 under the Erasmus+ program, which ensures the sustainability and long-term development of projects in the fields of youth policies, leadership, and civic education.
The organization actively participates in international initiatives aimed at fostering values, responsibility, and innovative thinking among young people – including meetings and joint trainings in the Vatican and Montenegro.
Photos: Milen Torbev
