UNICEF Trophy: The couples of the Final 4

Two strong couples were highlighted by the draw for the Final 4 of the UNICEF Trophy which will be held on January 5 and 6 at the Olympic Center of Ano Liosion (headquarters of AEK). Megarida-Milon and Panionios-Doxa Lefkada it will be the two semi-final matches that will claim a place in the final.

The team that wins the title will also win the ticket to the Final 8 of the Cup (February 15-18), where the top seven teams of the first round ranking in the Stoiximan Basket League will participate. These are Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, Prometheus, Aris, PAOK, AEK and one of Peristeriou bwin and Kolossos.

Nikos Nikolopoulos (EEC General Secretary): “Welcome to the UNICEF Trophy Final 4 draw. Thank you for the support we have from this global organization. I want to thank all the teams that participated in the Men’s Cup and congratulate the teams that reached the top four. The winning team will represent the national categories in the Final 8 of the Cup. Good luck to everyone”.

Hassan Halil (Diplomatic Representative UNICEF Greece): “We are happy and proud to have this excellent partnership with EEC. This cooperation is about promoting the defense of children’s rights.”

Olga Siokou Siova (UNICEF Communication Officer): “Congratulations to the teams that made it to the Final 4. We are especially proud to be in our second year of partnership with EEC. The UN sets December 21st as world basketball day for all the messages the sport is sending that are consistent with what the UN is passing on. The institution of the UNICEF Trophy goes from something more symbolic to something more tangible with results evident to everyone from our collaboration. Meeting on January 5-6 to highlight the trophy winner”.

Giorgos Mantalos (Coach NE Megaridos): “Our presence in the Final 4 is very important, both for the team and for our city, in combination with our ranking position in the league. We hope that we and the friends of NEM will enjoy it too.”

Angelos Gatzias (Head of NE Megaridos): “Having been with the team for four years, its trajectory is constantly on the rise. Qualifying to the Final 4 is something the team has achieved for the first time and we are very happy. It is a reward for the team, but also for the city. I hope we have a good event and that the best will win”.

Nikos Karagiannis (Coach of Milos): “Milon’s foundations are very solid. It is a great honor for the family of the club that participates in the Final 4. After all the violence that we have seen, we want basketball to be an example and to represent the ideal of sports. I wish the Final 4 to be a celebration of basketball.”

Ilias Petridis (Player of Milos): “The competition is great. We are very proud to have made it this far. For most of the guys in the team, the Final 4 is something unprecedented and we will give our best.”

Aris Lykogiannis (Coach of Panioni): “It is a special joy and honor that we reached the top four. It is a separate tournament and it has to do with the situation in which the athletes will find themselves on the given days. We have guys with experience and we have a lot of motivation to get to the end of the course. I wish that there will be good games and that the best will win”.

Dimitris Verginis (Head of Panioni): “Certainly Panionios is a team that has suffered a lot, but since last year with the existing administrative stability it has recovered and the goal is to return to the Basket League, where it belongs. For us, it is a great motivation to conquer the UNICEF Trophy again, as we honored the institution last year. We are playing against a very difficult opponent and we want to be focused and ready to conquer a goal we have set since the beginning of the year.”

Dinos Kalambakos (Coach of Doxa Lefkada): “We are a team that was several years away from the big leagues. We have guys who don’t have experience in the category, but it’s a process that the organization and Lefkada enjoy. We are happy to play for another goal in the holidays. Three more very good teams are participating. I hope all the kids enjoy it and we all stay healthy because we have a busy schedule. I hope everything goes well”.

Dionysis Skoulidas (Player of Doxa Lefkada): “We have had a period with a lot of travel and playing with less players, but we really wanted to reach the Final 4. I wish you health, because until the games there are more games ahead of us for the championship. I hope that we and the world will enjoy it.”