Cyprus sports journalism is mourning the loss of Dimitris Dimitriou, a respected colleague, mentor and former head of the sports desk at Politis, who died in the early hours of Monday, 11 May, at the age of 65.
Dimitriou died at 05:25 on Monday, after a long battle with cancer. His only daughter, Theodora, was by his side until the end.
A major figure in Cypriot sports journalism, Dimitriou began his career at a young age. He first worked at the Athens offices of Simerini in 1981, while also studying. In 1983, he returned to Cyprus and joined Simerini as a general news reporter. A few years later, he moved to the newspaper’s sports department, where he later served as editor-in-chief. He also worked at Radio Proto, taking part in the first football match broadcasts on free radio in Cyprus. In 1999, Dimitriou joined Politis as head of the sports department, a position he held until his retirement at the end of 2020. Even after leaving his post, he remained close to the newsroom and continued to guide younger colleagues with the same care, discipline and respect for sports journalism that marked his own career.
Despite the physical strain and difficulties caused by his illness, Dimitriou remained active until the end, writing almost daily for Politis and taking part in the work and activities of the Cyprus Sportswriters Association. His contribution to the Association was long and substantial. He first served on its board from 1991 to 1995, under the presidency of Zacharias Kyriakou, and again from 1999 to 2001, under Savvas Kosiari. From 2001 until 2018, he served as vice-president, during the presidency of Panayiotis Felloukas.
Dimitriou was honoured several times for his contribution to sports journalism, his work as an author and his support for the Cyprus Sportswriters Association. In January 2019, he received a special award for his service to the Association, while in January 2026 he was honoured for his decision to support its solidarity fund through his book, With the Gods of Olympus. In 2025, Dimitriou donated all proceeds from the sales of the book to the solidarity fund for members of the Cyprus Sportswriters Association and sports journalists, a fund whose creation he had himself proposed. One of his final wishes was for donations from his funeral to also be given to the same fund.
Beyond his professional record, Dimitriou will be remembered as an authentic, generous and deeply humane person, a colleague who shaped generations of sports journalists and left a lasting mark on the profession in Cyprus. The Cyprus sports world, journalistic community, clubs, federations, colleagues, friends and associates have expressed sorrow over his death and condolences to his family and loved ones.
May his memory be eternal.
