🇬🇷SPORTS NEWS🇺🇸

The first Olympic Flame for the Paris 2024 Olympic Flame Torch Run was lit by the sun's (Helios) rays on April 16, 2024, during a sacred ceremony in the sanctuary of Olympia where the ancient Olympic Games took place.

The Olympic Flame traveled across Greece with different torchbearers winding up in Athens beautiful first (1896) Olympic Stadium Kallimarmaros on April 26. The flame then boarded in Athens on the Belem Ship and crossed the Mediterranean Sea to the beautiful city of Marseille, France. The flame will be carried by torchbearers along a 5,000-kilometer route until Paris, France.

On May 8, the Olympic Torch Flame Relay will be carried across France showcasing the beauty, history, landscapes, and rich traditions as the world waits for the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games on the 26th of July.

Eleftherios Petrounias won his seventh European Championship Gold medal 2024 in Italy.  Petrounias has been a three time World Champion and an Olympic Champion. He has won Gold medals in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2024. 

BRAVO LEVENTI

ΜΠΡΑΒΟ ΛΕΒΕΝΤΗ

The 67th Harry Agganis Basketball Tournament, which is the longest-running Greek Basketball Tournament on the East Coast, was held from April 5-7, at the Saint George Greek Orthodox Church in Lynn, Massachusetts. Harry Agganis was the greatest school boy athlete in the USA (1945-48) while attending Lynn Classical High School as a football, basketball, and baseball star. who was known as The Golden Greek. Agganis never came of the football field playing quarterback on offense, defensive back, punter, and kicking the extra points. “Golden Greek” was an All-American college quarterback football player at Boston University hat and professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from 1954 to 1955, for the Boston Red Sox.

Agganis was a hometown hero born in Lynn, Massachusetts, to hard-working Greek immigrants George and Georgia Agganis. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round, but he decided to turn down this professional football offer so he could play baseball for his beloved Boston Red Sox. Agganis would join baseball superstar Ted Williams. He decided to sign a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox, and after one year he was the starting first baseman for the Red Sox major league team. In 1955, Agganis had been hospitalized for pneumonia and was in the hospital. Tragically he died of a pulmonary embolism on June 27, 1955.

In 1956, after his tragic death at 26, one of America’s greatest athlete’s memory was kept alive when his Greek-Orthodox Community of Saint George wanted to keep his memory starting the HARRY AGGANIS INVITATIONAL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT. The tournament was originally established to celebrate the life and perpetuate the name, Aristotle “Harry” George Agganis, a baptized Greek Orthodox Christian, who served his Church, his community, and his country faithfully. Since 1956 the tournament has taken place in the Harry Agganis Memorial Gymnasium at St. George Greek Orthodox Church of Lynn, where teams of Greek American players from all over the United States will compete.

The Harry Agganis Basketball Tournament is a fun-filled, competitive annual tournament, where people of all ages come together to play in honor The Golden Greek. Several distinctions and honors are awarded each year including; The “Maz” Award. This award was created to honor a longtime participant of the Harry Agganis Basketball Tournament George Mazareas. George recently lost his epic 20 year battle with ALS. The award is given to an individual(s) who recognized for participating in the Agganis’ Men’s Division, who displays tremendous passion, courage, and maintains a competitive spirit while conducting themselves with fair play and sportsmanship. The manner in which George performed. This year's recipient VasilI Mallios was George' Mazareas Godson. Vasili is a Boston Public School Teacher and a division 1 basketball referee. Cynthia Mazareas, George's wife made a wonderful presentation. of the MAZ Award Shown in photo left to right is Steve Mallios,Elaine Mallios,Chris Zikos ,Silvana Mallios,Vasili Mallios,Cynthia Mazareas, and Dino Mallios.

The Pastor’s Award. This award will be presented to a high school division participant who displays competitive spirit, while conducting himself with sportsmanship and fair play on the court. This award was established in 2008 and previously was sponsored by the Rev. Fr. George D. Tsoukalas, the former Protopresbyter of St. George Greek Orthodox Church, who has now retired. This ongoing tradition of recognizing a high school division participant will continue with Rev. Fr. Alex Orphanos. The Community of St George, Rev. Fr. Alex Orphanos, and the Agganis Tournament Committee would like to thank all participants involved, for another successful tournament. For more information, results, and pictures check out Harry Agganis Basketball Tournament, on Facebook. This year's recIpient Niko Agganis attends Malden Catholic a good golfer and Student Athlete of the Month this past October. Niko will is a senior and attends  Saint George. 

The Boston Sons of Pericles captured the competitive 67th Harry Agganis Basketball Championship High School Division. The team was coached by Athens Ahepa Athletic Director Mike Condakes and Dean Galuris. The team featured many good accomplished high school athletes from Boston area. Shown in the photo standing players George Skafidas, Vasili Tsiotos, John Condakes, Elias Nikolopoulos, Kneeling left to right Alex Sideridis, Foti Condakes, Niko Franklin, and Demetri Koutsouflakis.

George Kambosos and Vasiliy Lomachenko will be battling, bruising, and boxing for the vacant IBF Title in Perth, Australia on May 12. The fight will be shown on May 11, in the United States. They will be fighting for the four light weight titles American great Devin Haney gave up. Haney has decided to  seek for the 140 pound division title and be a two division champ. 

Lomachenko, 35, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a three division champion.He is currently rated ESPN'S  Numero 1 fighter at 135 pound. Lomachenko's record is 17-3 Kambosos family is from Sparta and he is a true warrior. Kambosos (21-2 ,10KOs) won the undisputed lightweight championship over Teofimo Lopez in ESPN'S No.1 rated 2021 Upset of the Year. GAS will keep you updated on any breaking news from Australia.

Greek American Sports is cheering Kambosos on to Victory!

Every Kuriakee ON AIR WNTN Grecian Echoes WNTN1550AM from Boston “The Athens of America” The one and only Greek-America Sports show “THE BENCHWARMERS” Hosted by Greek radio legends Ted Demetriades, Bill Galatis, Nick Ypsilantis, and Nick Markopoulos.

The 14th Teddy K Classic in memory of Teddy Kariotis will be the last of the Greek Hoop Tournaments Tour. The tournament attracts over 30 teams to Hellenic College in Brookline, Massachusetts. Director Tony Kariotis can be reached at 617-590-8051. The tournament will be held on May 8-12 in the “Athens of America” Boston.

Greek Hoop Scoop- Check out an amazing site about all things about Greek Basketball. They cover Greek and Orthodox basketball tournaments individual players, teams, and much more. Editor Terry Poulos, is a long-time sports columnist for The Greek Star and Windy City Greek.com as well as a Greek American media journalist.

The 94th NHIBT-National Hellenic Invitational Basketball Tournament took place in Chicago on March 20-24 th, for High School and Senior Divisions. A great Tournament.

The 78th Harry Agganis Basketball Tournament took place April 5-7, at the Saint George Community Center in Lynn, Massachusetts.

Greek Idiom - Με λίγα λόγια. With a few words. 

Greek Philosophy-  Ο ποιοτικός σιωπή είναι καλύτερος από τα άνευ νοήματος λόγια.

Read Pythagoras' translation. -> 

We would like to thank GAS followers that wrote to us indicating they enjoyed our staff honoring The Heroes and Heroines of 1821. We have done well on all of our GAS platforms, however, we would like to notify all Facebook followers. 

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The spirit of Hellenism, our deep sense of community, love for Greek youth and athletes has driven this national community grassroots effort. We have launched the first ever GAS/Kosmos effort and we have kept our promise to fulfill our mission statement. We will keep working and fighting to deliver GAS to every Greek American Sports fan. So pick up your telephono and check us out right now! We hope your community takes on our GAS Sports Challenge and sends us your  community sports video. GAS would love to see your community sports video.

GAS has already connected athletes throughout the United States with each other through our GAS Instagram, as well as received wonderful feedback from parents and elderly grandparents who have commented how proud they are of their grandchildren from the U.S.A. and Greece. In our next post we will be writing about this year's Harry Agganis Basketball Tournament ,high school sports, college hoop, and a division 1 hockey player, and more.