The entirety of the board of directors of the Cyprus turf club has resigned over fears for their safety after alleged bomb threats against them.
The move has thrown the future of Cypriot equestrian sports into doubt as the Nicosia race club cancelled all future events until further notice, including the Cyprus Derby and the Cyprus turf club cup.
George Hadjiminas, the Nicosia race club’s manager, told the Cyprus Mail that multiple “bombing and arson attacks” against Nicosia race club and Cyprus turf club personnel have taken place.
He said such attacks “have been happening for years, but have intensified in recent times”, adding that there have been 35 attacks in recent months.
The Nicosia race club called “imperatively on the state and the police to intervene immediately and with strength to put an immediate event to the criminal activities” against horse racing personnel.
“This number proves the encouragement of the criminals and the weakness of the prosecuting authorities, which unfortunately to date have not solved a single one of these crimes”, they said.
A spokesman for the police told the Cyprus Mail that there have been incidences in the past wherein police have investigated cases regarding bomb threats and arson attacks against horse racing personnel, but that these “were a long time ago”.