🇬🇷SPORTS news🇺🇸

Greek Americans were so proud of Kansas City Chiefs George Karlaftis in his Super Bowl debut last season as a defensive end. Karlaftis became a Super Bowl LVII champion. Karlaftis is the first Greek born player to win a Super Bowl Ring. He is amazing going from a 30th pick in the NFL to a starter at just 21 years old. The Chiefs are currently 1-1 this season. Karlaftis has had a good start with 11 combined tackles and 1.5 sacks. Bravo Levendi!

Minnesota quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis helped lead Minnesota to a thrilling 13-10 win over Nebraska. Kaliakmanis would hit Daniel Jackson for a touchdown catch with 2:32 left. Dragan Kesich would kick a game winning field go as time expired. Kaliakmanis known as “The Greek Rifle” was 22 for 44 passing. His brother talented Dino Kaliakmanis is a wide receiver on the team. The brothers in 2021 were Ahepa’s recipients of the inaugural  Agganis Family-Galatis Most Outsatanding Greek-American High School Athlete Award.

Sonya Lamonakis a New York Public School teacher in her 24th year of teaching will be inducted into the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, Nevada in October. She has made the Greek-American community proud as an excellent New York City teacher and former IBO World Heavyweight Champion. Lamonakis started boxing at age 28 and would have her first professional fight in 2010. She would move up the ranks quickly with a 6-0 record. In 2013 she would win the New York State Heavyweight Title beating Tiffany Woodard with a unanimous decision. This victory would set the stage for a fight in 2014 for the vacant IBO World Heavyweight Title against former World Champion Carlette Ewell. Lamonakis was known to always move forward on her opponents and throw a lot of punches as an inside fighter.She would win a 98-95,96-94,96-97 split decision victory to become the World Heavyweight Champion. Lamonakis during her boxing career would teach during the day and box after school earning the nickname "The Scholar." Sonya is from Turner Falls in Massachusetts. Axia(Aξία)

Entering our Fall season 2023 we have received some young athletes names from the Greek community in Massachusetts from the Boston area. Starting with Girls’ Field Hockey Kate Bekeritis, Ipswich High, Sophie Doumas, Masconomet High, Iliana Nikolouzos, Panagiota Nikolouzos, Peabody High, Ana Kalliavas, Zacharania Kalliavas, Revere High. Boys’ Crosscountry Argi Protopapadakis, Brookline High. Boys’ Football George Galuris, Demetri Koutsouflakis, Vasili Tsiotos, Winthrop High. Golf, Jake Galuris, Winthrop. Boys’ Football John Condakes, Peter Matheos, Steve Matheos, Xaverian. Nick Sideridis, St. John’s Prep, Boys’ Soccer, Panos Haseotes, Kostas Travayiakis, Jonathan Fanikos. Xaverian. Peter Pavlakos, Austin Prep. A big Ευχαριστώ to all the parents that took the time to send in names.  

AHEPA Supreme Athletic Director Chris Atsaves will have a full schedule of athletics ranging from bowling, golf, to basketball nationally. Sons of Pericles and Daughters of Penelope will also be conducting regional tournaments through their districts.

AHEPA Hall of Fame was started by the late Supreme Athletic Dr. Monthe  N. Kofos in 1976. Attorney Greg Stamos has done amazing work as Chairman of The AHEPA Athletic Hall of Fame along with his committee. AHEPA Executive Director Basil Mossaides considers AHEPA Athletics a very important way of bringing AHEPA Family together especially our youth. The Maids of Athena and The Sons of Pericles have many talented student athletes 

throughout the country. 

American star hockey defenseman Geroge Makrikostas from Robert Morris University will competed for Greece in the international AMERIGOL LATAM CUP 2023 which was predominantly represented by teams from Latin America. This was the first time a ice hockey team was represented from Greece in over 10 years. Makrikostas was the co-captain and is a member of AHEPA in West Virginia. Several attempts have been made through the years to expand ice hockey in Greece. WHY NOT? There are so many Canadian and American Greeks playing at all levels of hockey.

Congratulations! Sinharitiria! to Attorney Ike Gulas who was relected to as Chairman of the Board for AHEPA Senior Living. Ike played college baseball at Alabama and Samford University. Ike was also Supreme AHEPA President when AHEPA in 2008 brought their last Greek-American All-Star basketball team to Greece.

Historic Boston Athens Chapter 24 will be celebrating its 100 Anniversary on September 30 at the Boston Marriott, in Newton, Massachusetts. AHEPA Supreme President Savas Tsivicos will be attending the event. Athens Chapter Athletic Director Mike Condakes will have an athletic exhibit as part of the events. Legendary Atty. George Demeter brought notoriety to the AHEPA with his sponsorship of 1946 Boston Marathon winner  Stylianos Kyriakides which is celebrated yearly. There will also be other sports memorabilia.

Anna Korakaki won a Silver Medal in the women’s 10m air pistol at the 2023ISSF World Championship. Korakaki won a gold in the 25m pistol and a bronze 10m air pistol  in the 2016 Olympics.

Hellas Men’s Water Polo team earned a Silver Medal at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. This secured a spot for the 2024 Olympics which will be in Paris, France.

Another great moment for young athletes took place when Greece won its first place Water Polo Gold Medal Championship U17 at the European Championship. The Greeks defeated Serbia in a hard fought final 9-8. This was Greece’s first men’s Gold Championship.

Arionas Kolitsopoulos made history becoming the first Greek to win the Greco-Roman Wrestling World Championship Gold Medal in the U17 71kg category held in Turkey. Kolitsopoulos defeated Iranian Mohammadian, 6-5 in the finals.

Tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Alex de Minaur’s in Mexico in the ATP Los Cabos final.

Great Basketball FIBA World Cup Qualifier Greece vs. Serbia in Belgrade. Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokoumbo battled each other but it was Serbia that pulled of a 100-94 win. Giannis would score 40 points. Giannis Antetokoumbo was not allowed by Doctors to play in the FIBA Basketball World Championships.

Hellas would qualify for FIBA World Basketball Championships wining their first game 92-71 over Jordan. Then losing 109-81 in a good effort against team USA. Hellas in game three would trail New Zealand by 15 points but would never give up and came from behind in a thrilling  83-74 win. This catapulted team Hellas to the second round with the best 16 teams in the Kosmos. Hellas Basketball would play hard despite losing the next games, Lithuania 92 Hellas 67 and Montenegro 73 Hellas 69. Ioannis Papapetrou led all scorers with a 14.8 point average.

Australian former Boxing World Champion lightweight George Kambosos fought recently in Oklahoma in a match that was the main event on ESPN. Kambosos defeated Englishman Max Hughes 114-114, 117-111, and 115-113. Kombosos, 30, improved his record to 21-2. Kambosos has a huge following in the Greek-Australian community. Many in the boxing world would like to see Kambosos fight Vasily Lomachenko. They were going to fight last year but Lomachenko would go back to his home land Ukraine.The potential fight could possibly take place in the Summer of 2024 in Australia. Kambosos has the heart of a lion and has his family roots in Sparta.

Every Kuriakee, ON AIR WNTN Grecian Echoes 1550AM from Boston “ The Athens of America” The one and only Greek-America Sports show “THE BENCHWARMERS” Hosted by Greek radio legend Ted Demetriades, Bill Galatis, Nick Ypsilantis, and Nick Markopoulos. They are serious and hilarious. They brilliantly discuss all sports along with the Three Stooges, the koutala and pantofles. OPA!

Yale University Varsity Men’s Basketball Team travelled to Greece in late August and finished 3-0 on their tour. Coach James Jones and his players enjoyed the history and food. The team also met with  children at The Smile of a Child organization, was a high point of the trip. John Poulakidas a 6’6” guard saw playing time for the Yale Bulldogs.

I didn’t know there was book about………It’s time to discover a great book written by Diamantis Zervos “Baseball’s Golden Greeks” The First Forty Years  This is what baseball’s greatest hitter the late Ted Williams said after reading the book. “Mr. Zervos is to be commended for his thorough research into the little known area of baseball history. I really enjoyed the book and never realized how many great players were of Greek descent. Harry Agganis was one of the greatest! Anyone of Greek ancestry who follows baseball must read this book.

Miltiades Tentoglou Long Jump athletic odyssey 2017 Gold in Europeans U20, Gold 2018 Europeans, 2019 Gold European Indoors, Gold 2020 Olympics Japan, 2021 European Indoors,  2022 Gold Europeans, 2022 Gold World Indoors, 2023 Gold European Indoors, 2023 Gold World Championships. Many fans argue he is the best long jumper in the world. 

We want to hear from you about your local Greek-American high school, college, or professional athlete. GAS also welcomes stories and accomplishments of legendary players, teams, or Hellenic Teams of yesteryear. We welcome all kinds of Greek Sports news ranging from GOYA, AHEPA, Amateur Teams, to Senior Games. We will help you  publicize your tournament or sports event. We also urge you to send photos or video action.

Greek Idiom- κάλλιο αργά παρά ποτέ-better late than ever

Greek Philosophy-νους υγιής εν σώματι υγιεί-a sound mind in a sound body-Thales

Hermes could not get us some wonderful sports news before our posting deadline. We will print in our next article some of our favorite sports news from Connecticut high school football, a great college female athlete being inducted into a college Hall of Fame from Chicago, two more Greek-Americans in the NFL, AHEPA, GAS Sports, Update on Hellas Hockey, our youth high school sports news, and Greek Sports around the KOSMOS!