Sports
Patras has several sports facilities and important teams in almost all the major Greek leagues. Panachaiki Gymnastiki Enosi, Apollon Patras, EA Patras and NO Patras are historically the major sports clubs based in the city of Patras, specializing in football, basketball, volleyball and water polo. The city's national stadium, Pampeloponnisiako Stadium, was renovated and expanded in 2004. Since 2009, a new event, the Patras International Circuit Kart takes place every September, turning the city streets into a circuit.
The city has hosted several international sports events, such as the 1995 Basketball Under-21 World Championship (preliminaries), the 1995 Men's European Volleyball Championship (preliminaries), the 1997 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships, the 2001 World Wrestling Championships, the 2003 European Women Basketball Championship, the 2003 International Children's Games, a group stage of the football tournament in the 2004 Olympic Games, the 2007 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, the 2008 World Deaf Football Championships.
| Club | Leagues | Venue | Location | Capacity | Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panachaiki | Second Division - football | Kostas Davourlis Stadium | Agyia | 11,321 | 1891 |
| Thyella | Regional Championship - football | Fotis Aravantinos Stadium | Glafkos | 3,000 | 1930 |
| Apollon Patras | Basket League - basketball | Apollon Patras Indoor Hall | Perivola | 3,500 | 1926 |
| Olympiada Patras | B National - basketball | Olympiada Indoor Hall | Taraboura | 2,500 | 1961 |
| EA Patras | A1 Ethniki - volleyball | EAP Indoor Hall | Agios Dionysios | 2,200 | 1927 |
| NO Patras | A1 Ethniki - water polo | NOP Aquatic Centre | Akti Dymeon | 3,000 | 1929 |
| NE Patras | A2 Ethniki - water polo | Antonis Pepanos Aquatic Centre | Koukouli | 4,000 | 2006 |
| Ormi Patras | A1 Women's - handball | Dimitris Tofalos Arena | Bozaitika | 4,500 | 2003 |
Famous quotes containing the word sports:
“Falling in love is the right adventure for those who dislike sports and travel.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
“The whole idea of image is so confused. On the one hand, Madison Avenue is worried about the image of the players in a tennis tour. On the other hand, sports events are often sponsored by the makers of junk food, beer, and cigarettes. What’s the message when an athlete who works at keeping her body fit is sponsored by a sugar-filled snack that does more harm than good?”
—Martina Navratilova (b. 1956)
“...I didn’t come to this with any particular cachet. I was just a person who grew up in the United States. And when I looked around at the people who were sportscasters, I thought they were just people who grew up in the United States, too. So I thought, Why can’t a woman do it? I just assumed everyone else would think it was a swell idea.”
—Gayle Gardner, U.S. sports reporter. As quoted in Sports Illustrated, p. 85 (June 17, 1991)