Due to the fact that our response to a local website publication (on Wednesday, April 6) on issues concerning the National Shooting Range of Chania, was not published by the specific media outlet as required by ethics until today (Saturday, April 9 until noon), although we have sent it since Friday, April 8, we are forced to publish it on the website of the National Shooting Range of Chania for the information of all interested parties.
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Dear Sirs,
In a related publication on your website zarpanews.gr on 6/4/2022 you refer to certain issues concerning the National Shooting Range of Chania and in the last paragraph you ask for substantive answers. So here we are once again to respond to your own media outlet, with the question of why you have been writing anonymous articles lately with a clear "targeting" at the Chania Sports and Recreation Center, especially on those days when important decisions on sports infrastructure issues are announced by the Deputy Ministry of Sports.
So let's look at the questions one by one:
- Regarding the issue of personnel, one person has indeed retired and the retirement of the second is imminent. Consequently, the operating hours of the Shooting Range cannot be increased. However, for the first time, a contract was made with a specific person (specialized in matters of shooting range operation) after intervention by the administration and exposing the problem to the Deputy Minister of Sports himself. Efforts are being made to serve the athletes as a whole. We already have cooperation with the Federal Coach, Mr. Giorgos Salavantakis, for everything that concerns the athletes and especially the members of the National Team. The commitment of the person in charge, Mr. Vangelis Lampakis, is to come into direct consultation primarily with the athletes and then with the clubs as a whole.
- On the subject of cleanliness, which is also not new, the Shooting Range is cleaned once a week. This is the ability we have, this is the ability that existed before. It may indeed be the minimum possible, but let us all - including the athletes - take care of the cleanliness of the area.
- As for the issue of fire protection, the problem did not arise, as the publication suggests, during the days of the current administration, but -unfortunately- several administrations have passed without any of them dealing with it. On the contrary, on our part, actions have been taken by the person responsible for the Shooting Range, Mr. Vangelis Lambakis, who took office a few months ago. An active fire protection study by an engineer is needed, in order to respond to new safety data and protocols required for the operation of a new system.
- Regarding the issue of hours and budget, we inform you that there was a request and a meeting at the offices of the EAK with the president, the secretary and Mr. Lampakis from trap athletes for operation from the morning one day a week (two hours earlier). Repeatedly, the members of the Management Committee together with the president have extended an invitation to the clubs that practice at the Shooting Range, in order to discuss together all the problems that exist. Except for one, the president of the ZEUS club, no other club responded to our invitations. Only those responsible know why and certainly not us. So we had to decide on the operating hours, based on the needs of each club. We mention - again - as an example the trap athletes, who requested that the facility open in the morning, given that they cannot train at any other time of the day, as the targets face west.
Finally, because your publication also mentions the name of the former president of the Executive Committee of the Chania Sports Association, Mr. Manolis Kouridakis, and the bad, as you write, relations he has with us, creating associations of revenge on our part and by extension the Deputy Minister of Sports, Lefteris Avgenakis, we challenge you to ask him himself about the decisions that have been taken by us regarding the club of which he is president. You will be surprised by the answer he will give you, as there is evidence that proves how SKOLEK is treated - due to the wide range of shooting sports it covers - compared to other clubs. Some people must understand that any "contradictions" are not beneficial but only harm the facility they operate in, they harm the entire sports family.
We hope - once again - that we have enlightened you in relation to your questions and that our answers are... substantial. We are aware of the problems that exist and we try to respond, even to those who consider that they "discovered America today". In any case, we invite you, before each of your next publications, to also ask for the opinion of the Director of the Chania Public Library or the person in charge of the Shooting Range for the case in question, who is Mr. Vangelis Lampakis, who is also a former shooting athlete and a user of the facility for many years.
Best regards,
The president of the Board of Directors of the Chania Regional Cultural Center
Takis Svourakis
P.S. We hope that in your new publication there will be a mention of something good that is happening at the Shooting Range, such as the installation of new lighting fixtures, the cameras that will be installed for digital scoring, the repair of the wood behind the targets, and also the special green carpet for the trap, with better brightness for the athletes, which will be installed before the games for the anniversary of the Battle of Crete.
And finally, the important work that has begun to improve and modernize the way the Shooting Range is guarded and at the same time greatly reduce the cost at this time. It is estimated that the EAK will benefit from more than €25,000 per year but at the same time also have one more guard employee!!!