Athletic Union of Constantinople

The Athletic Union of Constantinople ( _el. Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως - "Athlitiki Enosis Konstantinoupoleos"), more commonly referred to as AEK or in European competitions as AEK Athens, is a sports club based in the city of Athens, Greece.

The club was founded on 13th April 1924 in Athens by Greek refugees from
Constantinople (now Istanbul) in the wake of the Greco-Turkish War and subsequent populationexchange.The large Greek population of Constantinople , not unlike those of the other Ottoman urban centres, continued its athletic traditions in the form of numerous athletic clubs. Clubs such as Enosi Tataoulon ( _el. Ένωση Ταταούλων) from the Tatavla district, Megas Alexandros ( _el. Μέγας Αλέξανδρος) of Vathyriakos, and Hermes ( _el. Ερμής - Ermis) of Galata existed to promote Hellenic athletic and cultural ideals; Hermes, one of the more popular clubs, was formed in 1875 by the Greek community of Pera (Galata). Forced by the Kemalist regime to change its name to Pera Club in 1921, many of its athletes fled during the population exchanges at the end of the Greco-Turkish War, and settled in Athens and Thessaloniki.

The founders of AEK established the club with the intention of providing athletic and cultural diversions for the thousands of predominantly Constantinopolitan and Anatolian refugees who had settled in the new suburbs of Athens (Nea Filadelfeia, Nea Ionia, Nea Chalkidona, Nea Smyrni, e.t.c.).

On July 14 2008, the new Administration Council of AEK is consisted of the most dynamic supporters groups, as follows:

President: Dimitris Chatzichristos,Vice-President 1: Giorgos Kachris,Vice-President 2: Charalambos Karamanlis,President of Economic Committee: Nikos Georgantzoglou,Accounting Manager: Leonidas Vassilopoulos,General Secretary: Vassilis Togelos,Specific Secretary: Nikos Ploumpis,General Manager: Michalis Tsagaris.Members: Michalis Galitis, Andreas Anatoliotakis, Michalis Artopoulos, Vagelis Aslanidis,Thanasis Tsiogas, Ioulios Synodinos, Charidimos Manousakis.

Crest and Colours

Since the club's foundation, AEK have had three main crests, though all underwent minor variations. In 1924, AEK adopted as their first crest the image of a double-headed eagle ( _el. Δικέφαλος Αετός - Dikefalos Aetos), which remained for the next half-century, on a golden yellow background. When AEK was created by Greek refugees from Constantinople in the years following the Greco-Turkish War and subsequent population exchange, the emblem and colours were chosen as a reminder of lost homelands; they represent the club's historical ties to Constantinople.Its usage also survived as a decorative element in the Greek Orthodox Church, which was the inheritor of the Byzantine legacy during the Ottoman Empire, while it remained a popular symbol among Greeks. In modern Greece various variations of the two-headed eagles are used in Church flags (based on Byzantine flag patterns and heraldic emblems) and, officially, by the Greek Army; the bird found its way into the Greek coat of arms for a brief period in 1925-1926 [ [http://www.aekfc.gr/index.asp?a_id=319 Crest info] ] .

Departments

The club fields teams in many sports, including athletics, cycling, boxing,
chess and fencing, but its most popular teams primarily compete in association football,
basketball, volleyball and handball. AEK being an amateur all-round sports club with the mission to create and advance as many sports as is feasible, its main professional and semiprofessional teams operate independently albeit in affiliation with it.

AEK Athens Football Club

Established in Athens on April 13, 1924 by Greek refugees from Constantinople (now Istanbul) in the wake of the Greco-Turkish War, AEK has grown to become one of the most successful clubs in Greek football, winning 28 national titles (including 11 Championships, 13 Greek Cups, 1 League Cup, 2 Super Cups, 1 Pre-Mediterranean Cup) ,providing the Greek National Football Team with many of its star players, and continuously appearing in European (UEFA Champions League and
UEFA Cup) competitions, having participated to the semi-final of UEFA Cup in 1977.

Honours

Domestic

League

*Greek Championships: Winners (13): 1939,1940,1941,1943,1963,1968,1971,1978,1979,1989, 1992, 1993, 1994

(1941 and 1943 championships are unofficial)

Cups

*Greek Cup : Winners (13): 1932, 1939, 1949, 1950, 1956, 1964, 1966, 1978, 1983, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2002

*Greek League Cup: Winners (1): 1990

* Greek Super Cup : Winners (2): 1989, 1996

*Pre-1991 Mediterranean Games Cup: Winners (1): 1991

AEK Athens Basketball Club

AEK Athens Basketball is the most successful among A.E.K' athletic departments. The obvious reason is that AEK's basketball team was the first ever Greek team to win an international trophy in any team sports. AEK formed its basketball team in 1924.

Honours

Domestic

League

*Greek Championships: Winners (9): 1925, 1958, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1970, 2002

Cups

*Greek Basketball Cup : Winners (3): 1981, 2000, 2001

European

*Cup Winners' Cup/Saporta Cup: Winners (2): 1968, 2000

References

External links

* [http://www.aekbasket.eu/ AEK Basketball Club (Sponsors website)]

AEK Athens V.C.

AEK Athens V.C.is the volleyball team of the Greek sports club AEK. It was founded in 1967 by Jason Platsi.Over the years AEK have strugled to stay in the top flight of Greek volleyball, competing in A2(Greece's second division) and A1.AEK had its finest moment with coach Stelios Prosalika , as has prevailed in the final-4 of the European Cup Winners Cup. The races held (9–10 March 2000) in the closed Youth Liosia and AEK lost in the semi-final by Cuneo, but won 3-1 Galatasaray in the small final and won the 3rd place.

AEK Athens H.C.

AEK Athens H.C. is also another growing department at AEK.The department Handball AEK founded by a decision of the General Assembly of AEK on July 12, 2005.

On August 5, 2005, the Greek Handball Federation accepted a merger through absorption of the association's Board of handball GA Ilioupolis with section Handball Sports Union of Constantinople.

In 2007 AEK HC was 3rd in A1 and gained the first participation in European Cups.

References

External links

* [http://www.aekhc.eu/ AEK Hanball Club (Sponsors website)]

AEK Athens Fencing

The Department of Fencing AEK Founded in 1996, relying on a trunk athletes beginning in the infrastructure of the club, little by little and gradually ascended the steps and assumed a leading role in the game, while our athletes manning the National Teams. Registrar of the Board throughout this time, and Constantine Beverage while coach since 1997 is Thanassis Tsamaldoupis. The sport of Fencing is separated into three events: Sabre, foil and epee.

AEK Athens Chess

The Chess part of AEK was founded by a decision of the General Assembly of AEK on July 12, 2005. The department staffed directly by September 3, 2005 is a member of the Greek Chess Federation.In 2006 AEK Chess Club was Greek Cup Finalist.

References

External links

* [http://www.aekchess.eu/ AEK Chess Club (Sponsors website)]

AEK Athens Cycling

One of the first sections that created the AEK Was the cycle. M. Kaloudis became Valkanionikis (in 1940 in Bucharest when he was 3 or position throwing the 'kilometers'), was one of the founders of the Chamber. Protoemfanisthike in 1929 and was followed by Petoun, Tarsinian and Krisalis. Later in 1935, was written to AEK and another ace cycling the Kouvelis who won the gold medal in the Balkan Games of 1940 in the race of 33 kilometers. Both Kaloudis and his Kouvelis participated in the Olympic Games in London in 1948.

The Olympic Games of 1948 in London, led to the new excursion of AEK In Cycling. With their fathers Kaloudi Kouvelis and started a new effort. At the beginning of the'50s, the sport has seen blossom and AEK Sway with the Panionios and Panathinaikos. The department then had a plethora of skilled bicycles as their Davouti, Kouyioumtzis (Athens won the race-Loutraki 1952), Chatziargyri, Georgiadis, Arapi, Barda, Alexis, Tzioti, Barla, Trasian.

AEK Cycling club, was Greek Champion in 1961, 1962 and 1971.

AEK Athens Boxing

The Board of Boxing founded in 1969 by the Lampidi. From the 1970s, had the first discrimination, but the biggest success for the 'kitrinomafra gloves' came in the last decade, with Tigran Ouzlian, Arthur Mikaelian, Michael Arnaouti (which now makes professional career in the USA), Valerio Chartsislava lead the Society teammates at the National Championships. A.E.K. in Greece has emerged as champion in Boxing 7 times: 1978, 1980, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001 & 2006.

AEK Athens Athletics

AEK Athletics (Stivos) club, was established in 1924 and is one of the most successfuldepartmens of AEK.AEK Athletics Club, was champion for 8 consecutive seasons (1957, 1958,1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964).

AEK Athens Table Tennis

AEK Athens Table Tennis (Ping-Pong) Club, was participated in Greek championships duringthe decades of 1950, 1960, 1970 and 1980.AEK Table Tennis Club acquired the third position, both in men and also in young men championships in 1959.The relevant department of AEK, is presently inactive.

References

External links

* [http://www.aek.gr/ AEK Sports Club Official Website]
* [http://www.aekfc.gr/ AEK Football Club]
* [http://www.aekbc.gr AEK Basketball Club]
* [http://www.aek.com/ AEK Internet Fan Club]
* [http://www.original21.com/ Original 21]
* [http://www.aekfans.gr/ AEK Fans Club]
* [http://www.aekathletics.eu/ AEK Athletics Club (Sponsors website)]