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 and, peace, friendship and/or stadium:
“The Roman Empire stood appalled:
It dropped the reins of peace and war
When that fierce virgin and her Star
Out of the fabulous darkness called.”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“To the American People:MChristmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think on these things, there will be born in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world.”
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)
“The fountains of my hidden life
Are through thy friendship fair.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“The final upshot of thinking is the exercise of volition, and of this thought no longer forms a part; but belief is only a stadium of mental action, an effect upon our nature due to thought, which will influence future thinking.”
—Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914)