More than 3,000 participations and world-class athletes in this year’s top world sports tourism event

Europe’s top sports tourism and wellness event, Navarino Challenge, celebrated its 10th anniversary on October 21-23, 2022, presenting a schedule of more than 40 activities, 16 Olympic sports and 15 Olympians at Costa Navarino and Pylos.

With the central message, “Sports Unites People” and embracing the purpose of the Olympic Movement, this year’s Navarino Challenge had more than 3,000 participations, with people of all ages, from 1 month old to 90 years old as well as people of all abilities, with more than 20 athletes with disabilities, who participated in the activities, in a full schedule that hosted the participants at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino, The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort and W Costa Navarino.

 

Navarino Challenge became a part of the amateur and professional athletes who participated, as they all shared the same values, in the presence of Olympians, having the magnificent Messinian landscape and the Navarino bay as their background scenery. The unique sports tourism celebration gathered athletes, families and children from 23 countries such as: U.S.A., Argentina, South Korea, Russia, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Finland, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Austria and Turkey, with sports as their common denominator.

 

Meeting with top Ambassadors & Instructors

Navarino Challenge is probably the only event apart from the Olympic Games, in which important sports personalities and Olympians such as the athletes of the event’s Grand Sponsor, Stoiximan, Lefteris Petrounias, Miltos Tentoglou, Stefanos Ntouskos, Vasiliki Millousi, Thodoris Vlachos, Dimitris Diamantidis, Georgios Printezis, Christos Volikakis, Maria Prevolaraki, Kristian Gkolomeev, can meet and do sports together, while giving the participants the opportunity to meet Nasos Ghavelas, Grigoris Polychronidis, Makis Kalaras, Periklis Iakovakis, Panagiotis Giannakis, Evina Maltsi, Joe Arlauckas, Konstantine Dean Karnazes, Michalis Triantafyllidis, Georgia Kaltsi, George Lazaridis, Grigoris Souvatzoglou and to train with Nikos Gemelos, Christos Gatsis, Dimitris Moros, Alexandros Nikolaidis, Christina Flampouri and Mandy Persaki.

 

A night dedicated to the 10 years of Navarino Challenge

On Saturday night the awards ceremony for the event’s 10-years anniversary took place, filled with memories, emotions & sports stars. The ceremony was presented by the actress and TV presenter Nadia Kodogeorgi. The event said goodbye to a friend but mainly a human, a top athlete but also a role model, the two-time silver Olympic medalist in Tae Kwon Do, Alexandros Nikolaidis, with a special and emotional message from his wife Dora Tsambazi, who united all the people with a huge hug. The ceremony was greeted by the Hall of Famer, Olympian & European Basketball Champion, Panagiotis Giannakis, as well as the Greek-American ultramarathon Konstantine Dean Karnazes. 

The following athletes were awarded: 

• Lefteris Petrounias, Miltos Tentoglou, Stefanos Ntouskos, Vasiliki Millousi, Thodoris Vlachos, Dimitris Diamantidis, Georgios Printezis, Christos Volikakis, Maria Prevolaraki, Kristian Gkolomeev, were awarded by the Founder & CEO of Kaizen Gaming Mr. George Daskalakis
• Konstantine Dean Karnazes with his parents Fran & Nick were awarded by the co-founders of Navarino Challenge, the former Executive Director of The Hellenic Initiative, Mr. Peter Poulos and the CEO of ActiveMedia Group, Mr. Akis Tsolis
• Nasos Ghavelas was awarded by the President & CEO of Samsung Electronics Hellas, Mr. Theofilos Shin Byungmoo, for the gold Olympic medal that came to Pylos, 109 years after Tsiklitiras
• Lefteris Petrounias and Vasiliki Millousi were awarded by the Marketing Manager of Europa, Ms. Maria Michalopoulou for promoting sports as a family role-model
• Thodoris Vlachos was awarded by the Key Account Manager of Vikos SA, Mr. Michael Evdemon with the ethics award, representing the Greek national water polo team
• The international football player of Liverpool FC, Kostas Tsimikas and the CEO of Prosport, Mr. Paschalis Tountouris, who represented the athlete were awarded by the Managing Director of Miele Hellas, Mr. Thanos Kyriazis
• Grigoris Souvatzoglou was awarded by the Country Manager of The North Face, Elias Kanakis
• The ambassadors Grigoris Polychronidis, Periklis Iakovakis, Evina Maltsi, Michalis Triantafyllidis, Nikos Gemelos, Joe Arlauckas, Christina Flampouri, Georgia Kaltsi were awarded by the Market Access & Public Affairs Director of Novo Nordisk, Ms. Mary Karageorgou 
• The instructors Mandy Persaki, Christos Gatsis, Dimitris Moros and Alexandros Nikolaidis were awarded by the owner of Sportadore & exclusive distributor of Luanvi in Greece, Mr. Manos Sifakis 
• the Pylos-Nestor Mayor, Mr. Panagiotis Karvelas who represented the Municipality of Pylos-Nestor, the President of Pylos Association of Enterprises for Tourism Development and Poseidonia Restaurant owner in Pylos, Mr. Vasilis Vrettakos and the owner of the Karalis Beach Hotel and the Karalis City Hotel, Mr. Dionysis Karalis were awarded by the Facilities Management Director of Costa Navarino, Mr. Giorgos Panageas. 

Amateur and professional runners, clubs, as well as athletes with disabilities from the sports club DiaforoZO took part in the running routes of this year’s Navarino Challenge. The participants ran in the Half Marathon powered by Miele, in the 10km powered by Stoiximan and in the 5km powered by Samsung even with their pets, while hundreds of children ran in the 1km powered by Vikos.

Unique gifts, the richest ever, were given to all participants. In particular, Samsung Electronics Hellas offered the unique Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro wireless headphones to the 5km finishers, Miele offered a t-shirt finisher, while all participants received the event’s official t-shirt designed by Luanvi, Official Sports Supplier of Navarino Challenge, which featured the design of a Griffin. At the same time, 10 lucky winners won the unique Miele Triflex Cat & Dog vacuum cleaner.

Vikos natural mineral water was once again next to all the athletes taking care of their hydration, while the Half Marathon runners empowered their strength with the ReCharge Gel energy gels and the MoiMüv Protein Flapjacks of GymBeam. Target Security took care of the participants’ safety, while Fysiotek undertook the rehabilitation and recovery of the athletes at their finish.

All running races were co-organized with Messiniakos Gymnastic Club and EAS SEGAS Peloponnese Region.

You may see the results of all running routes here: https://bit.ly/3DuOBCs 

 

Throughout the event, the registration area was transformed into a unique exhibition space where attendees had the opportunity to experience the possibilities of the fourth generation Galaxy Z Flip4 and Fold 4 foldable smartphones, which push the boundaries of technology, as well as Samsung’s largest tablet to date, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. In addition, all participants got to know the top wearables of Samsung Electronics Hellas, Official Technology Sponsor of the Navarino Challenge, the brand-new Galaxy Watch5 smartwatches and the Buds2 Pro wireless headphones, for immersive sound on the go. At the same time, the participants admired the unique high-quality household appliances of Miele Hellas, the event’s Official Sponsor, Luanvi’s unique collection of clothing and sports equipment, while they got to know the new “Orophographia” series of Kois Optics, which combines excellent quality and high aesthetics.

 

Moreover, Europa, one of the most powerful extrusion companies, supported the event as Official Sponsor, highlighting sports and Olympic spirit as well as the participation of athletes of all abilities and ages by bringing to the forefront the noble virtues and sports values, that Europa supports ​​for years through its extensive social responsibility program, Europa Cares.

 

More than 40 sports activities

This year’s Navarino Challenge schedule was the richest ever in its 10-year history. The following activities were presented: 

• tennis demonstration powered by Miele with the participation of George Lazaridis
• basketball demonstration with wheelchair athletes powered by Samsung with the participation of the wheelchair basketball team of Maroussi, Georgia Kaltsi and Makis Kalaras
• 4on4 basketball tournament powered by Trace ‘n Chase with the participation of Joe Arlauckas and Evina Maltsi. A tournament dedicated to the memory of the two-time silver Olympic medalist of tae kwon do Alexandros Nikolaidis, with all participants wearing the jerseys of Aris basketball team with his name and the number 6.
• tennis induction powered by Miele  
• bike ride to Voidokilia powered by Stoiximan with Christos Volikakis 
• high intensity training
• kick boxing lessons powered by Samsung
• baby swimming lessons
• boxing lessons
• rowing lessons powered by Stoiximan with Stefanos Ntouskos
• spinning challenge powered by Vikos
• pilates lessons powered by Samsung
• yoga powered by Messinian Spa
• men’s & women’s round robbin tournament with UTS format powered by Miele
• sea kayaking to Sphacteria island
• basketball lessons powered by Iroes with Dimitris Diamantidis, Georgios Printezis, Joe Arlauckas, Evina Maltsi
• half day kids camp
• padel tournament powered by Stoiximan
• beachathlon powered by Europa
• F45 Barrio Salamanca Heavy Cardio Workout 
• Tsimikas Football Clinics powered by Prosport
• climbing lessons powered by The North Face
• King of the Court Beach Volley Tournament men, women and mixed powered by Europa
• CrossFit
• long jump powered by Stoiximan with Miltos Tentoglou
• golf lessons powered by Bombay Sapphire
• gymnastics powered by Stoiximan with Lefteris Petrounias
• gymnastics powered by Iroes with Vasiliki Millousi
• wrestling lessons powered by Stoiximan with Maria Prevolaraki
• “Feed the Fish” golf exhibition game powered by Samsung
• Swimming lessons powered by Stoiximan with Kristian Gkolomeev
• Half Marathon run powered by Miele 
• 10km run powered by Stoiximan 
• 5km run powered by Samsung 
• 1km run for children powered by Vikos

During this year’s event, the global pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, as the event’s Strategic Healthcare Sponsor, organized a seminar to inform and raise awareness among the audience about the chronic issue of obesity and its recognition/emergence as a disease. Key speakers of the seminar were the Greek-American ultramarathon Konstantine Dean Karnazes, the EuroLeague Legend and European Champion with Real Madrid Joe Arlauckas and the ultramarathon from Messinia Vasilis Koumanakos, while the Market Access & Public Affairs Director of Novo Nordisk Ms. Mary Karageorgou greeted the audience and referred to Novo Nordisk’s campaign #PameNaXasoume.

 

Athletes and ambassadors of the event moved with the safety of Sixt cars of MOTODYNAMICS group, the event’s Premium Mobility Partner.

 

At the same time, the participants in the tennis and padel tournaments received rich gifts from Dunlop.

 

Stoiximan was the event's Grand Sponsor.

Samsung Electronics Hellas supported the event for another year as its Official Technology Sponsor. 

Europa and Miele were the event’s Official Sponsors.

Novo Nordisk was the Strategic Healthcare Sponsor.

Vikos Natural Mineral Water was the Official Water. 

Luanvi was the Official Sports Supplier.

Sixt of the MOTODYNAMICS group was the Premium Mobility Partner.

Costa Navarino and The Westin Resort Costa Navarino were the Official Hospitality Sponsors.

Poseidonia Restaurant, Karalis Beach Hotel and Bombay Sapphire were Navarino Challenge’s Official Supporters.

Trace ‘n Chase was the Sports Memorabilia Partner.

Kois Optics were the event’s Official Optics Partner.

Messinian Spa was the Official Beauty Partner.

The North Face was the Outdoor Partner.

Athens Medical Group was the Medical Partner. 

Pilia Express, the transportation company based in Pylos, Pylos-Nestor Municipality, Phee, Target Security, GymBeam, Dunlop and Fysiotek were the event’s Partners.

pi3 was the Sustainability Partner.

SKAI was the Premium TV Partner. 

Deree - The American College of Greece was the Educational Partner.

Concept2, Explore Messinia, FitnessArt, F45 Barrio Salamanca, Mouratoglou Tennis Center – Costa Navarino, Navarino Golf Academy, Navarino Outdoors, Pilates by Mandy, Red Swim Academy, Swim O’ Clock, Triantafyllidis Beach Arena, Vizantinos target sport club were Navarino Challenge’s Athletic Partners.

The event was assisted by Vita N Travel, Alpha Estate, Kayak, Karalis City Hotel & Spa, Pylos Association of Enterprises for Tourism Development, Rania’s Flower.  

Discount Partners were Anazoe Spa, Kessaris, Mouratoglou Tennis Center – Costa Navarino, Nargile, Panellinios Agora Games.

A Sustainable Event

The event ensured the implementation of sustainability principles, contributing with its actions to the protection of the environment.

In particular, PHEE is the first company in the world to use as its main raw material the dead leaves of the Posidonia Oceanica plant, and Navarino Challenge is the first event in the world to give participants a medal made of seagrass, as were also the plaques given to the honorary awards. A Greek product, from a company based in the Peloponnese that innovates by promoting the principles of “green” entrepreneurship and the reuse of natural resources. At the same time, participants were given bags from recycled plastic, registrations were made with Samsung tablets replacing the use of paper, and with the assistance of the π³= Plastic Pollution Prevention powered by Miele team, they took care of the event’s zero footprint, also undertaking the cleaning of the running routes. The event’s vision is the maximum possible contribution to sustainable development in harmony with nature.

 

The true meaning of volunteering

The volunteers of Deree - The American College of Greece offered a significant support by encouraging all runners. Athens Medical Group supported the running activities as a Medical Partner, while the contribution of the Hellenic Rescue Team - Messinia Prefecture, which helped in the Navarino Challenge running races, was also of key importance. 

 

Research on Greek sports tourism

For another year, the event conducted research on the financial impact of sports tourism in collaboration with Deree - The American College of Greece, the findings of which will be presented in the coming months. 

 

Sharing Is Caring

Navarino Challenge, like every year, will once again contribute to society with the action of Sharing Is Caring. The items of the online sports auctions will be offered via Silent Auctions and the total revenue will benefit the following 10 non-profitable organizations - CSR Partners: A Little Shelter, Diaforozo, Dogs’ Voice, Fylakas Angelos, HOPEgenesis, Karkinaki, Mikros Prigkipas, the Social Kitchen “The Other Person”, π³= Plastic Pollution Prevention, “Shedia” street paper – “Diogenes Non Profitable Organization”.

 

Navarino Challenge took place under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and the Greek National Tourism Organization.

The event joined the Greek actions of the #BeactiveHellas 2022 program of the European Commission which is held under the auspices of the General Secretariat of Sports. 

The event was organized by ActiveMedia Group which was also responsible for the event’s Sports Production.

 

The hashtag #navarinochallenge was the number one trend of the weekend with people uploading unique moments from the event on social media.

 

#navarinochallenge #costanavarino #sportsunitespeople #10yearsNavarinoChallenge #eatwell #runwell #livewell

In today’s digital age, a strong online presence is no longer optional—it’s essential. Whether you’re a startup or an established business, having a content and website company by your side can be the difference between thriving and merely surviving. Here’s why partnering with experts in content creation and web development is crucial for your business success.



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2. Expertise & Experience

Creating and maintaining a high-quality website requires a variety of skills, including web design, development, content writing, SEO, and digital marketing. A content and website company brings together experts in all these areas, ensuring your site is built and maintained to the highest standards. This expertise helps in addressing technical issues promptly, keeping your website up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies.

3. SEO & Visibility

A beautifully designed website is only effective if people can find it. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is critical for improving your site’s visibility on search engines like Google. Content and website companies have specialized knowledge in SEO best practices, helping your site rank higher in search results, drive organic traffic, and reach your target audience more effectively.

4. Quality Content Creation

Content is king in the digital world. High-quality, engaging content helps attract, inform, and convert visitors into customers. A content and website company can craft compelling blog posts, articles, videos, and other forms of content that resonate with your audience. They ensure your content strategy aligns with your business goals, improving customer engagement and driving conversions.

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A classic, homemade, quick and easy pudding that is very popular during Lent. Make sure you brown the semolina adequately to end up with this lovely cinnamon brown colour.

 

• 1 cup sunflower oil
• 2 ½ cups semolina
• 3 cups sugar
• 7 cups water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• Juice of half a lemon
• ½ cup crushed walnuts

 

Place the water, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice in a pot and simmer until the sugar melts. Warm the oil in a deep pot over medium heat and brown the semolina, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 6 minutes until it turns dark brown, add the walnuts. Use a ladle to pour, carefully, a little at a time, the syrup over the semolina mixture. Be careful because the mixture is very hot and bubbly. Mix well with a whisk and once you have stirred-in all of the syrup, cover and set aside for 10 minutes. Transfer into small bowls or into a cake tin and let it sit for another 10 minutes before turning over. It will crumble if its too hot! Serve with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon and a nice Greek coffee!

 

Recipe Source: Greek Mama Chef

At London's Heathrow Airport, a traveler to Greece is offered a deal by Aegean Airlines: the flight is booked solid, take a different flight and get 400 euros ($440) and a free round-trip ticket to anywhere in Europe.

Some hours later in Athens, a long queue moves slowly forward to passport control, while smiling but harried officials shout out "Santorini", "Mytilene" and the names of other sun-drenched Greek destinations as they try to herd tourists quickly toward connecting flights.

Greece, despite all its economic and political strife, is heaving with foreign tourists.

"On TV they said we can come, there was no problem," said Thibault Larhant, a tourist from Normandy, in France, who was resting at an open air cafe in Athens' Syntagma Square, cooled by a fan spraying water vapor.

"We came to go to the islands, for the countryside," he said, adding that he and his companion had had no problems.

Nearby, another French tourist sat on the "Athens Happy Train", a road vehicle with carriages that swings visitors around the main sights in Greece's capital, such as the Acropolis.

"My friend loves history and culture," said Christelle Fourdinier, from Perpignon, indicating her companion.

Greece's ancient sites and holiday playground islands have been little changed -- from a tourist standpoint -- by an economic crisis that led to the closure of banks and the country coming within a hair's-breadth of leaving the euro zone.

It is just as well, given that tourism accounts for around a fifth of Greek economic output -- perhaps more now that the economy is shrinking again.

"Tourism is ... our heavy industry, it is the main economic source of income today and also the main source of jobs for many Greeks," Minister of Tourism Elena Kountoura told parliament this week.

"Today it offers 750,000 direct jobs, numbers that rise to 1.5 million jobs including indirect tourism-related jobs."

To read more, please visit: Reuters

Nothing stands in the way of the Evzones doing their diligent duty as the members of the Greek Presidential Guard. They have been serving their country since December 12, 1868. Even when it is cold, rainy and snowing the guards are responsible for guarding important sites such as the House of Parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The Evzones are like statues who are so precise from their uniforms to their routine. This is because they are trained to be able to march with their legs expanding to shoulder width and to stand motionless for over 100 hours a month.

The Evzones are allowed a coat when it gets cold, but regardless of the weather, they must stand at their posts and perform their duties in the snow, sleet or the cold!

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Reporter

In his new book, Billy Cotsis explores 36 Hellenic kingdoms, territories, empires and a fiefdom to demonstrate the extent of the Greek world. From Pyrrhus to Cyprus covers the period following the end of the Alexandrian empire to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453. Added to the mix are a number of independent Greek entities which existed during and post Ottoman times. The book has a twist and a connector in that it is told by a fictional Thucydides, who has managed to survive for an eternity thanks to a spell cast by Apollo. This is his tribute to the brilliance of Thucydides as the first ever historian who truly presented primary facts with minimal bias.

Why From Pyrrhus to Cyprus matters?

The Greek world was never about mainland Greece, it was always much bigger… The Hellenes travelled in search of colonies, new territories and empires. They founded hundreds of colonies and territories in the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Africa and Asia. A number of these survive to this day, with many of its inhabitants speaking a dialect of Greek and maintaining differing aspects of Hellenic culture. It is important that we never forget how far the Hellenes were able to reach and in many cases directly rule vast territories far beyond the Greek heartland. This book therefore brings you an overview of 36 identified Greek “territories,” after the disintegration of the empire built up by Alexander the Great. Starting with Pyrrhus, the king of Epiros, the book also provides an overview of the conquests of Alexander and the Hellenistic Age, Byzantine Empire, Trebizond, Ionian Republic and many more. These many more include the fascinating Indo-Greek Kingdom, which is the furthest point for the Greek conquerors, Empire of Nicaea which was the only Greek empire to retire without being subjugated, the independence of Samos and Icaria, the will of Crete and the creation of a fiefdom in the Crimea.

This book would not exist without the generous support of the Hellenic Club of Sydney.

 

 

Billy Cotsis was first published in 1995 in the Greek media in Sydney. Since then he has featured in dozens of publications in four continents and is the author of over 100 articles. In 2013 he began developing short film projects and they are listed below. His first book was the acclaimed, “The Many Faces of Hellenic Culture,” and he occasionally delivers a lecture series on Greek communities.

Billy can also be found on MerakiTV and is a member of a Community Board.

All this work is undertaken as a hobby and to promote interest in his true love, Greek history and satire. His second book has been out since February 2017 and he is currently developing a new book.

Having lived in London and Greece, he has travelled extensively over the years and can be found on www.herculean.wordpress.com

An avid Manchester United and Canterbury Bulldogs fan, sport is something he enjoys but is not actually good at.