Absolutely successful and with this year’s record of participation the development tournament of Pera

A gym full of children, a two-day action for more than 20 hours, smiles and an undiminished mood for games, composed the wonderful image in the developmental table tennis tournament of AS. Beyond Athens, which was completed on Sunday, March 6, at the Byzantine Sports Center, in Alimos.

It was the 4th of the 2021-2022 season, the only one that will take place this year in Attica and the one that gathered the largest number of athletes so far. 176 boys and girls from 47 clubs of the country took part (after seven last minute absences) and on the floor of the “Michalis Pagiotis” hall they gave a spectacle and strong matches to the friends of the sport.

The games were organized exceptionally by EFOEPA. and Pera Athens and in conditions that left all missions satisfied. The gold medal was won by Alexandros Madesis in the juniors, Despina Aba in the juniors, Giannis Anastasiadis in the boys, Vasiliki Boula in the girls, Giannis Kioseloglou in the girls and Despina Dimitriou in the pangolins.

The games started at 9 in the morning on Saturday and on Sunday, on the second and last day, they ended at 19:00 with a beautiful ritual in the awards together for all six categories.

In the youth final, Alexandros Madesis and Socrates Giannoutsos competed, 3rd Mediterranean team in 2019 in the U15 Games team. They offered a rich spectacle and interesting fluctuations, with Madesis, the current champion of Greece in Young Men, reaching the first place with 3-1 sets (5-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7).

In the juniors, Despina Aba won from rank 3. In the final, she defeated number 1, Maria Dimitriou, 3-0, taking all three sets (11-9, 11-9, 11-9).

In the children’s final, the first two favorites competed. Thessaloniki’s Giannis Anastasiadis (No. 1) took the 1st set in overtime and then imposed his game for the final 3-0 against Edessaios Konstantinos Sotiriou and his second title this year (13-11, 11-4, 11-8) .

A similar “battle” for the gold medal in the girls. The number 1, Vasiliki Boula, was better in this match than Mavra Kontopoulou (No 2) and prevailed with 3-0 sets (11-2, 11-6, 11-2)

In the five sets the fight for the 3-4 places was judged. Stella Mavromataki and Zoe Kazakou from Chania faced each other and the first prevailed 3-2 with the 5th set ending 12-10.

The first two favorites met in the final of the boys. Loutrakiotis Giannis Kioseloglou had the lead in the predictions against his Kaorian teammate Konstantinos Isaakidis and confirmed it with 3-0 sets (11-5, 11-8, 11-8)

In the pangolins, they also claimed the gold medal number 1 and number 2. The teammates in Elefsina Despina Dimitriou and Athanasia Goga, athletes of the 6th elementary school, gave a beautiful rally and reached their first great distinction in development. The winner was Dimitriou with a score of 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-4).

The winners in each category:

TEENAGERS

1. Alexandros Madesis (AEK)

2. Socrates Giannoutsos (Olympiacos)

3. Efstathios Manolopoulos (AS To Gymnasio)

4. Kimonas Mitkas (Lighthouse of Alexandroupolis)

YOUNG PEOPLE

1. Despina Abba (Sarises of Florina)

2. Maria Dimitriou (GAS Elefsis)

3. Sotiria Nikolaidou (CHAN Thessaloniki)

4. Maria Helvatzian (GAO Piraeus)

CHILDREN

1. Giannis Anastasiadis (AO Poseidon Loutraki)

2. Konstantinos Sotiriou (Phoenix of Patras)

3. Dimitris Sotiropoulos (Phoenix of Patras)

4. Giannis Koutra (AO Poseidon Loutraki)

GIRLS

1. Royal Boula (Chorion Orion)

2. Mavra Kontopoulou (AS Radamanthis)

3. Stella Mavromataki (OA Chania)

4. Zoi Kazakou (OA Chania)

GIRLS

1. Giannis Kioseloglou (AO Poseidon Loutraki)

2. Konstantinos Isaakidis (AO Poseidon Loutraki)

3. Anastasios Fousekis (AO Diogenis Patras)

4. Nikos Angelidis (PAO Fili)

PANGORASIDES

1. Despina Dimitriou (GAS Elefsis)

2. Athanasia Goga (GAS Elefsis)

3. Paraskevi Spanou (OEA Florina)

4. Elpida Tassiou (Thermaios Thermis)

It is very important that in the training room of Pera and Tatavla the athletes always had the opportunity to warm up. Hygiene measures were followed to the letter, at the entrance there were constant checks for certificates and tests and the use of masks inside the gym.

Each athlete received a gift from a yellow bag (basic color in the Pera brand) with a bottle of water, banana, toast and croissant, while the club officials had put a piece of paper with information about the operation of the ping pong department. It is also beautiful that on the yellow ribbons of the medals Pera wrote the name of the association in black letters.