Greek deputy minister denies his daughter used handball club for exam points

The allegations

On 10 November, MEGA's central news bulletin aired claims that the 17-year-old daughter of Lazaros Tsavdaridis, a deputy development minister, was registered with a handball club in northern Greece so she could claim extra points for the Panhellenic university entrance exams. According to parents of players and the club's coach, as cited by MEGA, the girl first appeared on a match sheet in November 2025 but never trained or played. Parents of players who were left out of the squad objected, and an unnamed person quoted by MEGA said the club president had told them the club was his and he would bring in whoever he wanted. The same report said relatives asked the management for an explanation and were told the girl needed to appear as a member so the club could receive money after the deputy minister's intervention. MEGA also reported that under the rules, appearing on the match sheet for 50% plus one of the matches was enough to earn the points.

The minister's denial

Speaking to ANT1 on 11 November, Tsavdaridis rejected every claim and first asked what offence he was being accused of. He said his daughter sat the Panhellenic exams like other students, gained a place in the agriculture department at the University of Larissa on her own results, never attended that school, and now studies at a university in Cyprus. He added that no child in a Greek family lost a place because of her admission.

“My daughter never used extra points to get into any school at a Greek university.”

He also spoke about the coach who is reported to be among the accusers.

“I have never seen the coach of the team, who is reported to be among those making the accusations.”

Asked whether he had pressured the club to take his daughter while other girls were removed, he answered no. He denied that he had used his political position to secure financial support for the club. He said he is at the disposal of any competent authority to provide explanations, and that he will take legal action against those who slander him. He urged that children be kept out of what he called a toxic climate.

The club and the federation

The national federation did not publicly comment on the matter. It did, however, issue a rejection decision on a request from fourteen girls who wanted to transfer away from the club, and the parents of those girls have since turned to the Supreme Council for Resolution of Sports Disputes. According to MEGA's reporting, the club's players went on to win the Panhellenic handball championship, and players who never took the field were still credited for the matches they appeared on the match sheet for. The allegations therefore link the registration to the team's sporting record as well as to the exam points.

What the sources leave open

The registration claims rest on parents, an unnamed person and the coach as cited by MEGA, while the minister's account of his daughter's studies is his own statement. The minister's denial and the parents' accounts are presented as statements, and the articles do not weigh one against the other. The articles do not report a formal investigation, a ruling on the complaint or a response from the club president. The events date from November 2025, when the girl first appeared on the match sheet, and the public dispute began on 10 and 11 November 2026.