64th Matseia track and field event scheduled for May 2026

The 64th annual Matseia track and field event will take place on May 15 and May 17, 2026, at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia. The competition schedule is split over two days because the stadium will host an APOEL versus Omonia football match on Saturday, May 16, 2026. Organized by the Praxandros Gymnastics Club of Kyrenia, the event serves as a precursor to the Pan-Cyprian championships and marks the beginning of the summer athletic season. Younger athletes will use the competition to attempt to qualify for the World U20 and European U18 championships. The event traces its history back to the Kyrenia provincial games established in 1949. In 1961, the games were renamed 'Matseia' by the club board, following a proposal by president Kleanthis Georgiadis, to honor EOKA fighter Kyriakos Matsis. Matsis served as the regional commander of Kyrenia and died in battle in Dikomo on November 19, 1958.