eSports, Children & Digital Balance

For the first time, children and parents take part on the same team, with the aim of shaping a healthy digital generation. Technology is now an integral part of young people’s everyday lives. As a Municipality, we choose neither to ignore it nor to fear it. We choose to understand it, to inform, to set rules and to help our children use its potential with balance and responsibility.

eSports can be much more than a game. They can cultivate teamwork, strategic thinking, creativity, digital skills, respect for the opponent and fair play. At the same time, it is our responsibility to speak openly about the dangers of the internet — cyberbullying, hate speech, exclusion — and the need to protect children.

It creates a meeting point for children, parents and young people, where entertainment meets awareness, prevention and education. At its heart is participation with rules, guidance and respect, and without exclusion — with one shared message: technology needs rules, so that together we can ensure a safe environment for our children.

On 10 and 11 October, the “Giannis Kostakis” Indoor Arena in Ilioupoli becomes a modern meeting place for the new generation and esports. Through play, tournaments, educational activities and talks with people from the field, our aim is to get to know eSports better and to highlight the importance of balance, responsibility and accurate information.

We want Ilioupoli to create opportunities for young people, keep up with new developments and offer activities that are open, modern and accessible to all.

Our goal over these two days is for everyone to have a great time, to play and have fun, but also to leave having learned a little more about esports and the right way for it to become part of young people’s lives.

We want eSports to be a space of joy, education, safety and equal opportunities for all.

Come and learn when gaming is healthy and when excessive use can lead to addiction. This matters greatly, because it is the only sport in which able-bodied people and people with disabilities can compete on equal terms.

And because we are talking about sport, you cannot sit in front of a screen for hours without limits. There is structured training; sleep, proper nutrition and physical exercise are all very important, and all of it must be done with discipline and balance.

I believe our society as a whole can take a very important example from this: to learn to see a person’s abilities first, not their disability.

I am especially glad that an event held in a venue that bears my name carries this message of equality, inclusion and the power of sport to break down barriers and stereotypes.

The Athlete Health Card should not be treated as a routine annual formality, but as an essential tool for prevention and safe participation in sport. Particularly commendable is the recent initiative of the Deputy Minister for Sport, Mr Ioannis Vroutsis, to digitise the Athlete Health Card.

The key message, especially for younger age groups, is clear: the goal is not excessive gaming, but healthy, guided engagement. Performance does not mean excess; it means prevention and care for physical and mental health.