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In this new interview series, we highlight the experiences, challenges, and initiatives of WPC members who are working to grow the sport and build sustainable competitive structures.
In this feature, the President of E.P.S. Virtual Gaming Cyprus, Vasilios Efthymiou, shares his insights into the development of phygital sport in Cyprus, the response from local audiences, and what he and his team are doingto engage athletes, partners, and institutions.
When you launched your first event, how was phygital sport perceived in your country, and what opportunities did you see for growing it locally?
Phygital sport was initially met with curiosity and some hesitation in Cyprus, as it was a completely new concept. The main challenge at that stage was helping people understand what it actually is and how it works.
At the same time, we saw strong potential from the beginning. Cyprus has a passionate sports culture and a growing gaming community, so the opportunity to connect these two worlds was very clear to us. We recognized early that phygital sport could create a new pathway for athletes, engage younger audiences, and place Cyprus within an emerging global movement. The support from Phygital International and the WPC were very important.
What are the biggest challenges you have faced?
Phygital sport was something entirely new, so naturally in the beginning, there was skepticism from athletes, clubs, and the wider public.
People needed to see and experience it to truly understand its value. Once we managed to overcome that barrier, everything started to fall into place. Today, we’re seeing a very positive shift, with major official athletic clubs in Cyprus now supporting the movement and even developing their own phygital departments under our guidance. That’s been a very important milestone for us.
How do you engage with local authorities to support the development of phygital?
Through continuous dialogue, education, and collaboration. Since phygital sport is still a new concept, it’s important to clearly present its value, not only as a form of competition, but as a tool for youth engagement, innovation, and digital development.
We organize pilot events, invite stakeholders to experience the format firsthand, and share international examples to demonstrate its potential. Our approach is to build trust and show that phygital sport can complement the existing sports structure in Cyprus.
By positioning it as a forward-looking initiative, we aim to work with authorities to develop something sustainable for the sports community and fans.
What specific initiatives or activities have you introduced to attract new athletes and engage your local community?
We’ve focused heavily on accessibility and first-time experiences. We’ve organized pilot tournaments, school and university activations, and some minor events where anyone can experience phygital sport .
We also collaborate with traditional sports clubs and gaming communities to create crossover opportunities, which has been very effective in bringing different audiences together. In addition, we use live events and digital platforms to showcase the format and build excitement around it.
Our goal has always been to make it easy for people to get involved and once they try it, they usually stay because they can see the potential.
Can you share an idea, format, or approach your team has developed that you’re most proud of?
We’re especially proud of the hybrid competition format we’ve developed, where athletes compete in both digital and physical stages, leading to a live final event.
What makes this approach unique is that it truly captures the essence of phygital sport as you need to be both a skilled gamer and a capable athlete to succeed. It creates a very dynamic, surprising and fair competition environment, while also being highly engaging for spectators.
This format has helped us clearly demonstrate what phygital sport stands for and has been key in gaining the trust of both athletes and partners.
How do you explain phygital sport to people who are experiencing it for the first time, and how do you convince them to get involved?
We explain phygital sport as the natural evolution of competition, but to convince people, we focus on the experience. It’s one thing to explain it, but once they see it or try it themselves, it immediately clicks. They realize it’s competitive, inclusive, and something completely fresh.
What we often tell them is simple. You don’t have to choose between being a gamer or an athlete anymore, as you can be both. And that’s what makes people want to get involved most of the time.
Looking ahead, what role do you see your country playing in the global development of the Games of the Future and the wider phygital movement?
Cyprus may be a small country, but we see ourselves playing a strategic and active role in the global development of the phygital movement.
We have the advantage of being agile, well-connected, and open to innovation. With the growing support from official athletic clubs and the development of local phygital structures, we’re building a strong foundation.
Our goal is to position Cyprus as a regional hub, contributing to international competitions like the Games of the Future, hosting high-quality events, and helping shape the future of phygital sport through collaboration, development, and new ideas.
