His highest distinction was winning the silver medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

Kokkas was born in Kakavijë, Dropull, Albania, to an ethnic Greek family.

[2] In 1991, along with Pyrros Dimas, Giorgos Tzelilis, Leonidas Sabanis and Viktor Mitrou, Kokas left Albania for Greece.

He celebrated his win with close friend Pyrros Dimas, with whom he shared a room for the past several months.

He also won silver in the 1997 Mediterranean Games, in the 91-kg category, by lifting 160 kg in the snatch.