Peace and Friendship Stadium
The Peace and Friendship Stadium SEF (37°56′32.91″N 23°40′02.27″E / 37.942475°N 23.6672972°E / 37.942475; 23.6672972), known as S.E.F. after its Greek name (Stadio Erinis & Filias - Greek: Στάδιο Ειρήνης και Φιλίας) is an indoor arena located in Faliro that hosted indoor volleyball at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
The arena which was opened in 1985 had previously hosted various major international events, including the Final tournament of the 1987 Men's European Basketball Championships and preliminary games of the 1998 FIBA World Basketball Championships.
Renovations for the Olympics commenced in April 2002 and were completed on June 30, 2004. The new stadium was officially opened on August 11, 2004, shortly before the opening of the games. The venue's current regular seating capacity is 14,905 seats, while the regular capacity was 17,000 seats before the 2004 Summer Olympics renovation.
However, for home playoff matches of the Olympiacos basketball club, for which the SEF arena is their regular home court, the seating capacity can be increased to 16,000-17,000 with temporary seating.
Read more about this topic: Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex
Famous quotes containing the words peace, friendship and/or stadium:
“A society which is clamoring for choice, which is filled with many articulate groups, each urging its own brand of salvation, its own variety of economic philosophy, will give each new generation no peace until all have chosen or gone under, unable to bear the conditions of choice. The stress is in our civilization.”
—Margaret Mead (1901–1978)
“Ought we to smile,
Perhaps make friends? No: in the race for seats
You’re best alone. Friendship is not worth while.”
—Philip Larkin (1922–1986)
“In their eyes I have seen
the pin men of madness in marathon trim
race round the track of the stadium pupil.”
—Patricia K. Page (b. 1916)