Panionios G.S.S.
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| Full name | Panionios Gymnastikos Syllogos Smyrnis Πανιώνιος Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Σμύρνης |
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| Nickname |
Kyanerythroi (Blue-Reds) Istorikos (Historic) Panthers |
| Founded | 1890 as Orpheus Smyrni |
| Colours | Red, Blue |
| Chairman | Aristovoulos Misailidis |
| Website | Club home page |
Panionios G.S.S. (Greek: Πανιώνιος Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Σμύρνης, Panionios Gymnastikos Syllogos Smyrnis), the Pan-Ionian Gymnastics Club of Smyrna, is a Greek multi sport club founded in 1890. Originally based in Smyrna/Izmir, the club was uprooted in the population exchange between Greece and Turkey following the Asia Minor Catastrophe in 1922. It is now based in the Athenian suburb of Nea Smyrni, (New Smyrna) in Greece, where many of the refugees from Smyrna settled.
The Panionios football team has won the Greek Cup twice (1979, 1998) while the Panionios basketball team won the Greek Cup in 1991.
Panionios has a long tradition of raising talented athletes in many sports (e.g. Fanis Christodoulou, Thomas Mavros, Nikos Anastopoulos, Dimitris Saravakos, etc.)
Panionios was founded in 1890 under the name Orpheus, by Greeks of Smyrna in the Ottoman Empire. The name related with the legendary musician of ancient Greece, because the main activity of the club was the music. Three years later, in 1893, members of Orpheus who wished the activities of Orpheus to be focused on sport withdrew from the club and founded a new club. That was named Gymnasium and it was the first exclusively Greek sport club in Smyrna. In 1896, Gymnasium organized the first Panionian Games and in 1897 participated in the foundation of SEGAS along with 25 clubs from Greece and two from Cyprus.
In October 1898, Orpheus and Gymnasion merged again to form Panionios GSS. The next years Panionios took part in all Panhellenic Games. It also took over the organisation of Panionian Games. Between 1898 and 1922, the games were held 19 times. These games together Panhellenic Games were the most important Greek athletic events. In 1900, Panionios organised the first poetry competition. The winner was Stelios Sperantzas with the poem anthem of Panionios. The first years, Panionios hadn't got its own gymnasium. The club rented out a court near the wharf, from the French company of Smyrna. In 1910 the French company sold the area and Panionios stayed homeless. Thanks to Chrysostomos of Smyrna, Panionios was allotted a big area for its gymnasium near the Greek cemetery. The inauguration of new stadium was held in 1911 during 14th Panionian Games.
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Wikipedia