Honoring Sports Notables

Many Olympians from all over Greece attended the event of cutting of the New Year’s Cake of the HOA that took place on Monday the 21st of February at the Yacht Club of Greece.

During the usual proceedings many sports notables, from within or outside of the HOA, were awarded for their contribution to the sports family and the Olympic Movement.

The winners in alphabetical order are:

Antonis Aronis: Having participated 3 times in the Olympic Games (1980 – 1984 – 1988) with the National Polo Team. He has scored 53 goals in total and finished 8th in Los Angeles (1984). He has been a vast contributor to the community of Piraeus and the swimming sports.

George Zaimis: Gold Medalist in Sailing in 1960 in Rome. He is always active in all things concerning the HOA. He has been President, while today he still is equally involved in fulfilling the duty of First Vice President.

Emm.Katsiadakis: He is the General Secretary of the HOC and the President of the Greek Fencing Federation. He is a veteran athlete and a tireless supporter of the traditional sporting way of thinking.

Spiros Kontossoros: He is a member of the Board of Directors of the HOA. He is a University Professor. He has been the successor of George Papavassiliou in 3.000m Steeple, having finished 8th in Munich Olympic Games in 1972 with a time of 8.41.0. He has been a mentor and teacher to thousands young people.

Isidoros Kouvelos: He is the President of the International Olympic Academy, member of the HOA and a supporter of Basketball and the Panionios GSS. He has fought for conducting the Mediterranean Games in Greece. Unfortunately the times have not favored him, the Symplegades (Clashing Rocks) pulped the Mediterranean Games. Still the true sportsmen are not intimidated.

Dimitris Kiteas: A champion of the great Greek School of Pole Vault. He participated in the Olympic Games of Montreal in 1976. He was most successful as a coach with his greatest student being Kostas Filippidis who has managed to reach 5.72m after continually breaking the record.

Nikos Milas: He is the oldest of those awarded. He has been winning medals in Basketball since 1949, in the Europian (1949), Mediterranean (1951) and participating in Olympic Games (1952) and others. In 1968, as the coach of the Basketball of AEK, he led the team to the top of Europe. He has been the Honorary Treasurer and Vice President of the HOA.

Dionisis Chatzidakis: He is the Mayor of Municipality Palaio Faliro and one of the most potent Mayors in Attica. He has been Greek Champion in Track, at 400m. Hurdles. He has never lost sight of his love for Sports. He may be the Mayor who looks after Sports the most in his Municipality.

The lucky of the New Year’s Cake was the professor of Physical Education Aris Matthaiou, who also represented his father, the legendary Faidon Mathaiou, who could not attend due to health issues.