Greece postpones basketball finals game after courtside dispute
FILE PHOTO: Basketball - EuroLeague Final Four - Third Place - Olympiacos v Panathinaikos - Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - May 25, 2025 Olympiacos players after the match REUTERS/Rula Rouhana/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Basketball - EuroLeague Final Four - Third Place - Olympiacos v Panathinaikos - Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - May 25, 2025 Olympiacos' Moses Wright in action with Panathinaikos' Omer Yurtseven and Mathias Lessort REUTERS/Rula Rouhana/File Photo
ATHENS - Greece's government on Monday postponed a basketball game between local rivals Olympiacos and Panathinaikos and threatened to cancel the national championship after tensions between team owners boiled over at a match on Sunday.
Olympiacos basketball owners Panagiotis and George Aggelopoulos, and Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos clashed over the alleged use of obscene gestures and offensive chants by spectators.
The sides were scheduled to play the third of five potential end-of-season games on Wednesday, but that game has been put on hold after
Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said the owners would appear in front of the deputy sports minister and promise that this behaviour will not be repeated.
"Otherwise, this year's championship will be permanently suspended," Marinakis added.
Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, two of Greece's biggest basketball clubs, recently played each other for third place in the EuroLeague finals in Abu Dhabi.
Violence has plagued sport in Greece in recent years.
Two young soccer fans were killed in 2023 and 2022, and a Greek court found a 20-year old man guilty of manslaughter over the 2023 death of a policeman hit by a flare during clashes with spectators at a volleyball game.
Authorities have promised to crack down to tackle the issue. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
15 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Late Salah, Chiesa goals give Liverpool 4-2 win in thrilling opener
LIVERPOOL, England - Liverpool talisman Mo Salah and fellow forward Federico Chiesa struck late goals as the Premier League champions began the defence of their title by beating Bournemouth 4-2 in a thriller on the opening night of the season at Anfield on Friday. On a bittersweet evening charged with emotion after the July death of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, newcomer Hugo Ekitike bagged a goal on his debut to put the hosts ahead after 37 minutes and Cody Gakpo doubled the lead in the 49th. But Antoine Semenyo, who was the target of racist abuse in the first half that led to a pause in the game, pulled one back for the visitors in the 64th minute and completed a double 12 minutes later to rock Liverpool and shock the home fans. However, substitute Chiesa sent the Liverpool faithful away happy with an 88th-minute strike after goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic swatted away a ball into the box by Salah, who scored himself deep into added time to wrap up the three points. REUTERS
Straits Times
15 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Snooker-'Rocket' O'Sullivan fires two 147s in Saudi semi-final win
FILE PHOTO: Snooker - World Snooker Championship - The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, Britain - May 2, 2025 England's Ronnie O'Sullivan reacts during his semi final match against China's Zhao Xintong Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers/File Photo Seven-times world snooker champion Ronnie O'Sullivan pulled off the remarkable feat of firing two maximum 147 breaks as he cruised to a 6-3 win over Chris Wakelin in their semi-final at the Saudi Arabia Masters on Friday. Known as "The Rocket", the mercurial O'Sullivan rattled home a red with his first shot of the game before going on to clear the table for the 16th maximum of his career, and his first in a competitive game since the 2018 English Open. With the scores tied at three frames each, O'Sullivan did it again, coaxing the final red into the corner pocket with a superb stroke before potting the six remaining colours, prompting the 49-year-old and his fellow Englishman to shake their heads in disbelief at the end of the frame. O'Sullivan, who became the second player to record two 147s in the same match after Welshman Jackson Page, will face Neil Robertson in the final on Saturday. REUTERS
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Leverkusen weather hailstorm to thrash 10-man Grossaspach 4-0 in German Cup
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Soccer Football - DFB Cup - First Round - SG Sonnenhof Grossaspach v Bayer Leverkusen - WIRmachenDRUCK Arena, Aspach, Germany - August 15, 2025 Bayer Leverkusen's Alejandro Grimaldo scores their fourth goal from the penalty spot REUTERS/Heiko Becker GROSSASPACH, Germany - Bayer Leverkusen weathered a first-half hailstorm to beat 10-man fourth-tier side SG Sonnenhof Grossaspach 4-0 in the German Cup first round on Friday. The 2024 German Cup winners had to wait for 45 minutes when play was stopped early in the first half after heavy rain, wind and a brief hailstorm. But Leverkusen coach Erik ten Haag's competitive debut saw his team live up to their heavy favourites tag by easing past their opponents. Patrik Schick opened his account after 32 minutes. The hosts were then left with 10 men when Volklan Celiktas was sent off for a second booking in the 66th. Arthur made it 2-0 after 74 minutes before Christian Kofane added another in the 84th for the visitors and a penalty from Alejandro Grimaldo three minutes from time sealed the rout. REUTERS
