Six courts in Elefsina with the support of the Onassis Foundation

The Onassis Foundation continues to change the everyday life of young people in the public space, this time a bit further from the city's center, in Elefsina, through the reconstruction of three basketball courts, a tennis court, and a volleyball court, as well as the construction of a 5x5 football court. An industrial city throughout the ages, Elefsina is evolving and renewing itself, while the new generations of people living now in Elefsina are invited to enjoy the area’s outdoor courts in every possible manner.

In a city that constantly evolves and regenerates itself, we enhance the urban character in its neighborhoods through interventions that make team play never seize. More specifically, only a few months ago, three courts were handed to the 2nd – 4th High Schools of Elefsina and the 2nd Lyceum of Elefsina, while a few days ago three additional new courts were delivered at the junction of Arkadiou and Ikoniou Streets. The construction works concerned the replacement of the courts’ fencing and the floor restoration with a special anti-slip carpet. Regarding the three courts at Ikoniou Street, 14 waterproof LED sets of equipment were supplied for the lighting of the courts, while the 5x5 court was constructed anew. The said sports facilities have remained for many years underutilized and non-usable and will now amount to a state-of-the-art and functional site for anyone residing in the area.

As the Mayor of Elefsina, Argiris Economou, mentioned: “The reconstruction of the existing courts and the construction of a 5x5 court revitalizes the neighborhood of Ano Elefsina, which was very much in need of it. The creation of outdoor sports facilities, as well as the enrichment of our athletic infrastructures, is vital to enhance creative entertainment, especially for young people who are constantly seeking ways of tension relief. I would like to thank the Onassis Foundation, first of all for our exceptional collaboration and its willingness to contribute through a donation to our great effort in upgrading our school and athletic infrastructures.”

The President of the Onassis Foundation, Anthony S. Papadimitriou, noted: “For us at Onassis Foundation, Elefsina, which ‘takes center stage’ this year as the European Capital of Culture, is a brand new milestone in our comprehensive policy for the activation of communities and the release of their potential. This is what the donation on the part of the Onassis Foundation symbolizes, as we wish to serve as a catalyst at a local level, always with people at the core of our activities. With this donation, six outdoor sports facilities were reconstructed and restored, while the first skate park will soon follow. In this manner, we offer a holistic athletic experience to the students, we ‘eavesdrop’ on the stories that forge the narrative of a city that explores its every day and experiments; a city with the capacity to ‘reintroduce’ itself to its residents and visitors.”