Shine of “stars” in the Feast of the Top of PSAT

Feelings of emotion, national pride, but also life lessons were shared by those attending the “Feast of the Top” of Greek sports, organized by the Panhellenic Sports Press Association (PSAT) for the 68th year, this year with the support of winmasters. The elite of athletes, teams and coaches, as well as those who stood out for their ethos and social contribution, received the warm applause they deserve for what they have offered to Greece and the Greeks, in a glorious event at the Megaron Music, in the presence of the President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

After the welcome to the high guests by the President of the PSAT, Giannis Theodorakopoulos, the Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports addressed a greeting, Lefteris Avgenakis.

The event, which was broadcast by ERT and the ERTFLIX platform, was presented by the Vice President of ESIEA Aria Agatsa and the Vice President of PSAT, Vangelis Ioannou.

Top athlete of the year, as last year, was voted the John Antetokounmpo. At the age of 26, “our” John won his first ring in the NBA, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to the top of the world and the 16th league in their history. At the same time, the “Greek Freak” emerged as the most valuable player (MVP) of the NBA finals. In the 6th game of the finals, he scored 50 points and became the seventh player in NBA history to do so. In November, the Greek Freak reached 600 NBA appearances with historical statistics (21 points with 57.7% 2 points, 28.7% 3 points, 71.7% shots, 9.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks per 32.5 minutes played). He was named MVP in the NBA All-Star Game, while he was included in the top five and the top defensive top of last season. He was named Athlete of the Year by GQ.

The top athlete for 2021 became Maria Sakkari. The “golden” girl of Greek tennis reached the semifinals in two Grand Slams during the year, namely the US Open and Roland Garros, and climbed to No. 6 in the world rankings (from No. 22 in November 2020), for for the first time in her career. She also reached the final of the Ostrava Open, while in November, in Guadalajara, she competed for the first time in the WTA Finals, a tournament in which the eight top tennis players of the season participated. During the year, Maria Sakkari scored 38 victories and suffered 20 defeats.

The leading team for 2021 was the Men’s National Polo Team. By winning the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, our internationals marked the greatest achievement in the history of Greek water polo. With “granite” defense throughout the Olympic Tournament in Japan, the players of Theodore Vlachos faced Serbia in the final, but the “gold” in Rio de Janeiro Serbs won 13-10 and kept their scepters. This was the second medal of Greece in team sport in the history of the Games, after the silver of the respective Women’s National Team, in 2004 in Athens.

In Theodore Vlachos ended the title of Top Coach of the Year. The 52-year-old national polo coach was the “architect” of success in Tokyo, guiding our “silver” Olympians on the podium. A few days ago, Thodoris Vlachos renewed his cooperation with KOE and will remain in the position of the National Men’s Federation until the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.

The title of Top Athlete with Disability was won by Nasos Gavelas with guide Sotiris Garaganis. Gavelas won the gold medal in the 100m. T11 of the Tokyo Paralympic Games, with a total of two World and Paralympic records in the event. He had also become European Champion in the same event earlier in the year.

The title of Top Athlete with Disabilities went to the swimmer Alexandra Stamatopoulou, who won the bronze medal in the 50m. supine S4 of the Paralympic Games. Earlier in the year, he won the gold medal in the same event of the European Championship.

The Top Team of Athletes with Disabilities for 2021 is MIXED PAIRS BC3 (Grigoris Polychronidis, Anna Denta, Anastasia Pyrgioti). They won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Paralympics, with four victories in six events.

Prizes and special awards:

PRIZE “YOU ARE FIGHTING”

To the football player of PAE Ergotelis, Iron Danae Eleni, which during the match Ergotelis-AEK Messolonghi and while her team won 3-2, preferred to observe fair play, instead of “finishing” the game. Knowing that a player of the opposing team was injured on the field, she did not complete the phase, throwing the ball out, so that first aid could be offered to her opponent.

SPORTS AND SOCIAL OFFER PRIZE

THE Spartan Gymnastics Association is awarded for its contribution, for 126 consecutive years, to Sports, Youth and Society. The Spartan was founded a year before the A; Olympic Games and has as its emblem the Dioscuri. All these years he played an important role not only in sports but also in the social life of Laconia. Thousands of young men and women took their first steps with the club jersey. Today, he cultivates four divisions: athletics, cycling, basketball and volleyball.

PRIZES OF RISING TALENTS

To the Panathinaikos basketball player, Avdala Neokli, who this year, at the age of 15, became the youngest to wear the Panathinaikos jersey in the history of the greens in an official game. He only played for 1 and 40΄΄ and did not manage to score, however the 18th of October will remain in his mind for a long time.

In one of the greatest talents of tae kwon do, the Melina Georgiou, who before she even turned 14 won the bronze medal last summer at the European Girls Championships at -41 kg, rising to the top ten of the world rankings. She belongs to Aiantas Agios Dimitrios and is a student of B; Pefki High School where he stands out for his excellent performance in the courses. He comes from an athletic family.

Tokyo Olympics: We applaud and thank them

STEFANOS DOUSKOS

The great revelation of the Olympic Games. The champion from Giannioti, after an amazing race, defeated the favorites and was crowned “gold” Olympian in the men’s skiff, even setting an Olympic record. It is the first Olympic gold medal in the history of Greek rowing.

MILTOS TENTOGLOU

At the age of 23 he reached the top of world sports, winning the gold medal, literally at the last moment, after flying in the sixth jump at 8m41. The Olympic victory followed other successes in international events in recent years. At the beginning of 2021, he had become European champion in indoor (Torun) with 8m.35. During this period he jumped 8m.60, which is the top performance of the world for 2021.

LEFTERIS PETROUNIAS

Despite the fact that he came from a serious operation, he won the bronze medal in the rings and became the second Greek gymnast with two medals in the rings. His participation alone was a great achievement, since due to the pandemic, the last qualifying match took place just a month earlier.

THODORIS IAKOVIDIS

He is honored for the way in which he announced, in a very charged atmosphere, his decision to retire from sports. The testimony of his soul shocked and sensitized all the Greeks, who mobilized immediately, in order to remain in active action. His attitude raises the hope for a better tomorrow for all athletes of unpopular sports.

ANNA DOUNTOUNAKI

She is awarded for the first gold medal, won by a Greek swimmer in the European Championship and for the very big performance, accompanied by a national record, at the Tokyo Olympics. But above all, for the messages he sent to the Greek society that a great athlete knows how to fight until the last moment and does not give up.

EMMANOUIL KARALIS

He is honored for his great success at the Olympic Games, which was accompanied by fourth place. But also for the ethos he showed, after the fight and the message he passed to the Greek society.

Honorary distinctions

Kapralos Spyros, President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee

He is awarded for his long-term and multilevel contribution to Sports and Youth. His election since 2004 for four terms in the Hellenic Olympic Committee and the important work he presented, has been recognized not only by the national federations, but also by the athletes of the pre-Olympic teams, who found solutions to their problems, with the pioneering program “Adopt by an Athlete”. He is also honored for his election as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2019, and as president of the European Olympic Committees in 2021, a position in which he is the first Greek to be elected.

Giannakis Panagiotis for the COURT OF LIFE, “Stavros Niarchos” Foundation

The “Stavros Niarchos” Foundation and Panagiotis Giannakis are honored for the joint implementation of the vision of creating a sports space, in which children and young people will know a healthy lifestyle and will discover their talents. This ambitious plan will be implemented in the Nice region, where access to such opportunities is limited.

Gelaouzos Constantinos

We award Konstantinos Gelauzos for his great victory in this year’s authentic marathon, which was accompanied by a national record. After 17 years, thanks to his hard training and great stubbornness, he managed to break the record of the most difficult route in the world with a time of 2 hours 16:49. At the same time, he impressed with his ethos, after dedicating his victory to Panagiotis Karaiskos, an athlete and his great opponent in athletics, who did not participate in the race due to coronavirus.

Pelendritou Carolina

He is one of the great figures of swimming in the history of the Paralympic Games and he managed to reach high with great will and hard work. He was born in Limassol 35 years ago and has managed to win a total of 20 medals in major events, six of which at the Paralympics. All three are gold, one silver and two bronze. The beginning was made with the gold in the 100m. front in 2004. It continued in Beijing, London and reached Tokyo, where it was 3rd in the 50m. free and gold in the 100m. front with world record.

Hellenic Equestrian Federation

In her name we honor the whole family of the sport for the readiness and efficiency she showed during the big fires of the summer, when she managed to evacuate the equestrian clubs in Varybobi and other areas resulting in rescue, care and transport to Markopoulos of more than 300 horses and equidae. Everyone’s efforts were so coordinated that not a single horse was lost.

Angelis Apostolos

The best Greek skier of the decade. He is the only athlete in our country who has participated continuously in the last five seasons at the highest level of biathlon (world championships and cups). He is 29 years old and belongs to EOS Metsovo. He has participated in the Winter Olympics of 2014 and 2018, while he has also qualified for the 24th Beijing Olympics that will be held from 4 to 20 February 2022.

Goodbye to Megalos Mikis!

The “Celebration of the Top” of PSAT for 2021 was completed with a video tribute to the world creator Mikis Theodorakis who left us a few months ago. The great Mikis was a fan of sports, something he had expressed many times, but few people know.