<\/p>\n
Andreas Vassilopoulos (centre) and Giorgos Megalos (right) take part in Special Olympics European Basketball Week activities<\/p>\n
\u201cBasketball<\/a> has changed my life and I am proud to be a part of this family.\u201d<\/p>\n The words of Greece\u2019s Andreas Vassilopoulos about his 16 years as a Special Olympics athlete.<\/p>\n \u201cMy mother encouraged me to join Special Olympics when I was 15 – I went to a training session and I felt an immediate connection,\u201d remembered Andreas, now aged 31.<\/p>\n \u201cThe coaches and the teammates were all very supportive and they made me feel that I belonged there.<\/p>\n \u201cBasketball has made me more sociable, more confident and happier. I have met friends, learned to work together and gained more self-confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n Andreas Vassilopoulos takes a shot during Special Olympics European Basketball Week activities<\/p>\n Panathinaikos AKTOR collaboration\n<\/p>\n Andreas\u2019s basketball journey with Special Olympics Hellas<\/a> has just become even more exciting.<\/p>\n He plays in a Unified team which has now linked up with one of Europe\u2019s biggest and most successful teams, allowing him to experience basketball at the highest level.<\/p>\n Andreas and his teammates have weekly training sessions with professional coaches and players from Greece\u2019s Panathinaikos AKTOR<\/a>.<\/p>\n They work on basketball skills, teamwork and communication and create inclusive activities which emphasize inclusion, co-operation and mutual respect.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a great experience and I have learned a lot,\u201d said Andreas, who is from Athens.<\/p>\n \u201cMy highlight was when we trained together with Juancho Hernang\u00f3mez and he congratulated me when I scored a very important point during the match.\u201d<\/p>\n KAE Panathinaios AKTOR<\/a> has worked with Special Olympics for 12 seasons.<\/p>\n This partnership with the Unified team, through the Euroleague\u2019s One Team<\/a> Corporate Social Responsibility programme, is new for the 2025\/2026 season.<\/p>\n The Unified team\u2019s coach, Konstantinos Makropoulos, said the collaboration brought \u2018tremendous benefits\u2019.<\/p>\n “Our athletes gain confidence, social skills, better teamwork, and improved basketball abilities. Most importantly, they feel recognised, included and valued.”<\/p>\n \u201cBeing part of such a high-level programme motivates them, strengthens their self-esteem, and helps them grow both as players and as individuals,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Pierce College \u2013 A Unified Champion School\n<\/p>\n The Unified team is made up of Special Olympics athletes alongside students from Pierce, the American College of Greece.<\/p>\n The college is one of more than 300 Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools across Greece, which promote social inclusion\u00a0through planned and implemented activities.<\/p>\n One of the students on the team is Giorgos Megalos, a 15-year-old from Marathon in Greece.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been great,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThrough my participation in the programme, I understand that we all communicate differently and through training we find ways to collaborate perfectly with everyone.<\/p>\n \u201cThe most important thing is that we create a Unified team that consists of people with different backgrounds.\u201d<\/p>\n Andreas Vassilopoulos (left) and Giorgos Megalos (right) during pecial Olympics European Basketball Week activities.<\/p>\n The college has worked with Special Olympics Hellas since 2018.<\/p>\n Project co-ordinator Panagiotis Kechagias said the collaboration with Panathinaikos AKTOR was embraced with enthusiasm across the school.<\/p>\n \u201cWorking closely with professional coaches and being part of a respected basketball organisation is incredibly motivating and inspiring for students,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cInitiatives like this are essential in helping young people develop an inclusive mindset. \u201cWe are truly grateful for the opportunity to participate, and we hope programmes like \u2018One Team\u2019 continue to grow so that even more students and Special Olympics athletes can benefit from this valuable experience.\u201d<\/p>\n The athletes of Special Olympics Hellas are among over 25,000 basketball enthusiasts from more than 35 countries enjoying the 22nd edition of Special Olympics European Basketball Week<\/a> (EBW) from 25 November to 3 December. EBW 2025 activities are kindly supported by partners Toyota Motor Europe, UPS and ON, which focuses on Unified with Refugees events.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n