16-year-old Greek Australian tennis player, Elektra Arseniou, has been selected to compete in the Tildesley Shield tennis tournament among the best young players from Meriden School in the inner west Sydney suburb of Strathfield.
Elektra will play in the tennis tournament representing Meriden School for two days of highly competitive singles and doubles competition.
Elektra Arseniou
The young athlete’s talent and potential in the field of tennis make her a promising player for Australian tennis.
Elektra was born in Sydney on June 6, 2006. Her father, Antonios, is from Kalambaka, Thessaly, and her mother, Georgia, is from Chania, Crete. Her siblings are Theodora and Dimitris. She goes to Meriden School, an independent girls’ school in Sydney, and is in Year 10.
In an interview with The Greek Herald, Elektra said she started playing tennis at the age of five.
“My dad took me to Sydney Olympic Park every Saturday and from there I took my first steps in the field of tennis,” she told The Greek Herald.
“Along the way, I started to develop and learn more about the sport, which is very demanding and requires many hours of training to be able to reach your goal.”
Elektra added that an athlete, tennis is “an individual sport where you need very good physical condition and a very good mental state to overcome mistakes and fatigue during the game.”
Elektra and her family
The young tennis player has trained at the Eastcourts Tennis Club in Mascot, Sydney, as well as at her school. Practising at school has helped Elektra improve her technique and progress steadily.
“Our coaches are remarkable connoisseurs of tennis,” Elektra said.
Elektra was also selected for the Meriden singles and doubles tennis team to compete in the All Schools Tennis Challenge, which sees the best young players from independent girls’ schools across Australia play tennis for a week in Albury.
Sydney baritone and conductor, Leon Vitogiannis, has been announced as one of nine recipients of a scholarship for Pacific Opera’s 2023 Young Artist program.
Vitogiannis will be supported by the $5,000 Philip Bacon Scholarship to help him learn roles and prepare for professional engagements.
“It is an absolute privilege to have been offered a place as a young artist in Pacific Opera’s 2023 Young Artist Program,” Vitogiannis told The Greek Herald.
Leon Vitogiannis.
“Pacific Opera is a fabulous avenue of performance for young artists, as we will have the opportunity to appear in lead roles in two operas, solos in two oratorios and various other performances.”
During the program, Vitogiannis said he will be working under the guidance of co-Artistic Directors, Peter Coleman-Wright AO and Cheryl Barker AO, and Musical Director, Bradley Gilchrist.
“Their work in providing opportunities to developing young artists has undoubtably enhanced the opera scene of Australia and I am honoured to be a part of that,” Vitogiannis said.
Greece’s Culture Ministry recently announced the construction of a cable car to the upper quarters of Monemvasia worth 6,800,360 euros.
Monemvasia is a town and municipality in Laconia, Greece and attracts thousands of tourists annually.
The new advancement comes after funds were made available as part of the European Recovery and Resilience Fund designed to help Europe bounce back from COVID-19.
The red and yellow boxes indicate where the cable car will be installed in Monemvasia.
Greek Culture Minister, Lina Mendoni, said accessibility to archaeological sites and monuments with high tourist attraction rates is a priority for Greece’s Culture and Sports Ministry.
“The cable car will facilitate, not just access to the upper quarters and the temple of Agia Sofia… but will allow people with disabilities and, more generally, people with difficulties to approach the significant monuments of the castle town,” Mendoni said.
The cable car will also allow for emergency services to rapidly reach the top of the castle town.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the reinforcement of the Turkish fleet at the New Generation Storm Howitzers Delivery Ceremony at the BMC factory near Ankara on Monday.
According to In.gr, Erdogan attended the ceremony and announced the first unmanned aircraft carrier, the Istanbul frigate and the Piri Reis submarine would join the Turkish Armed Forces this year.
Yeni Nesil Fırtına Obüsleri Teslimat Töreni’yle başladığımız 2023 senesini milletimize savunma alanında vereceğimiz yeni müjdelerle sürdüreceğiz.
At the event, Erdogan said according to In.gr, “This year the first UAV carrier will join our fleet. It will be joined by the Bayraktar TB3 unmanned aerial vehicle which will make its first flight.”
“With God’s help, the Istanbul frigate, which is the first class I frigate, and the Piri Reis submarine, which is the first of the new type of submarines, will join our fleet,” Erdogan added.
The delivery of arms comes amidst provocation and continued threats to Athens with Turkey warning Greece of an invasion if it does not stop its military presence in the Aegean islands.
While these threats are not new, they are more specific than normal with the Turkish provocation’s hitting “red” and the fear of an accident in the Aegean islands remaining.
Erdogan recently told Greece to “behave well” if they want to stay out of trouble.
Athens continues to respond to the threats with calmness, confirming Greece is ready for all eventualities.
“Germany is solidly on your side. A solution can only be found based on the basis of United Nations resolutions.”
This is what German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Monday during a joint news conference with her Cypriot counterpart, Ioannis Kasoulides.
Baerbock mentioned that a two-state solution for Cyprus is not an option and Germany will keep pushing for a de-escalation of tensions on the island.
Cyprus was split after a 1974 Turkish invasion spurred by a brief coup engineered by the military then ruling Greece. Cyprus’s Greek government is not recognized by Turkey. Attempts over the years to broker peace between the two sides have failed.
Ioannis Kasoulides stated that “Partition cannot be a solution.”
“There are three elections coming up, in Cyprus, Greece and Turkey, and certainly efforts in moving forward to resuming a dialogue can only start after the Turkish elections,” he added.
Chants of ‘Let’s go Chrisos’ and ‘Let’s go Yianni’ echoed across the Seymour Shaw Stadium in the Sydney suburb of Miranda on Sunday, January 8 as the Mavromoustakos brothers went head-to-head for a charity soccer match.
Cheer squad. All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
Team Chrisos and Team Yianni were evenly matched in the first half of the soccer game, but Team Chrisos came out fighting in the second half to claim victory 7 – 2.
The victory was the third in a row for Team Chrisos and was met with loud applause from the crowd.
“The crowd was unbelievable and I think everyone enjoyed themselves, that’s the main thing,” Chrisos told The Greek Herald after the event.
The charity soccer match was being held to raise money for charity, Paradise 4 Kids, to support the critical missionary work of Reverend Themi in Africa. Just $20 provides food, education and clothing for up to four children a month.
Throughout the day, attendees could give donations or purchase raffle tickets to win a number of prizes such as hampers and a Macarthur FC jersey.
ChrisosYianni
“It was a truly blessed day, bringing together families, friends and the broader community. We are thrilled with the success of the event, allowing us to raise critical funds for Paradise 4 Kids,” Chrisos said.
“We look forward to seeing new faces in 2024 for such a special day.”
*All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
By Andriana Simos, Mary Sinanidis and Martina Simos.
Greek communities turned out in huge numbers over the weekend to attend traditional Blessing of the Waters events across Australia. These ceremonies were held without COVID-19 pandemic restrictions for the first time in two years.
Here is The Greek Herald‘s list of all the winners and events which were held across New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania.
New South Wales:
On Sunday, January 8, the traditional Blessing of the Waters ceremony returned to Yarra Bay in NSW for the first time in two years. The ceremony was presided over by Archbishop Makarios of Australia and clergy from across NSW.
The NSW Labor Leader, Chris Minns, and Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis, were some of the distinguished guests in attendance.
(L-R) Ioannis Mallikourtis, Archbishop Makarios and Chris Minns.Dimitri Glastras retrieved the Holy Cross.
Hundreds of people lined the Yarra Bay foreshore to watch as young men, both young and old, jumped into the waters to retrieve the Holy Cross. Ultimately, Dimitri Glastras from St Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in Sydney’s south east won the Holy Cross.
Elsewhere, in the coastal city of Wollongong, people gathered at the local harbour for a historical Blessing of the Waters ceremony.
Wollongong. Photos: The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
The event marked the first time local Wollongong churches, St Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church and the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church, conducted the Epiphany together. Young dad, Theodoros Papadopoulos, retrieved the Holy Cross from the harbour.
Theodoros Papadopoulos with his family and parish priests. Photos: The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
Victoria:
Thousands showed up to the Blessing of the Waters ceremony at Princes Pier in Port Melbourne, Victoria on Sunday, January 8. They chose to celebrate Theofania at the same spot where thousands of Greek migrants walked their first steps in Australia during the mass migration periods of the 1950s and 1960s.
The service was conducted by Bishop Evmenios of Kerasounta and was attended by a number of dignitaries such as Nick Staikos MP and the President of the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM), Bill Papastergiadis, among many others.
Bishop Evmenios.
Winner, Steve Kikyris from Werribee, told The Greek Herald that his grandparents arrived at this port in the 60s. His mum, Nicky, a single parent for the last 10 years, expressed her pride following the win just 11 years after her other son, Leonidas, had also caught the cross.
The 25-year-old cross-catcher viewed the win as a good omen ahead of his engagement ceremony to Nicky Tzouvanellis this coming March. Catching the cross has spiritual significance for him which goes beyond “bragging rights” at his parish in Yarraville and Jason Real Estate, where he works in commercial property with his brother.
“It’s an important feast, and I’m going to have good luck for the rest of the year,” he said.
Steve Kikyris and his brother, Leonidas, who caught the cross in 2012.
The 30 or so swimmers racing for the cross were all male because, unlike Frankston and Rye, women were banned from taking part in this event. They lined up at the beach and swam at least 100 metres towards the cross.
“We were all swimming towards the priest, however I happened to look up and saw him pointing towards the middle, and I looked to where he was pointing, saw the cross and took a right turn,” Steve said.
Beside him, his brother Leonidas, who won in 2012, said he has not only kept the cross but has it tattooed on his arm. Steve is still contemplating whether he will get a tattoo for this one.
Nicky Tzouvanellis gives her fiancé, Steve Kikyris, a big congratulatory hug.
Mr Papastergiadis attended the event as a special guest, however he remembers his own cross-catching win in the late 1980s.
“My brother (Nick Papastergiadis) was then at Cambridge University doing his PhD and had come back for the summer holidays and a short break. He said, ‘you were a great swimmer at school. Why don’t you go to it?’ I had only got home three hours earlier and said, ‘leave me alone’, but he insisted so I got out of bed, put on my togs and came here,” he said.
“Back then, it was Bishop Ezekiel who put the cross around my neck. I have a photo, newspaper article and the cross. I remember it vividly. I haven’t missed any of these ceremonies since then.”
Near him, Nick Staikos MP, said: “I’m not a good swimmer. I’ve never taken part. Others can have the good luck.”
Officials at the event.
At the end of the official proceedings, people enjoyed souvlaki and other treats from the stalls, accompanied by music from the Dyo Patrides Band. Christian Psarakos took a break from playing in the band to dive for the cross and then returned for more music-playing.
“When I dived for the first time a few years ago, I didn’t stand a chance. But it was part of the fun. It has a lot to do with belief and wanting to be part of it,” he said.
There was a petting zoo for children and face painting, as well making the outing especially fun for families.
South Australia:
Greek Orthodox Community of SA (GOCSA), Henley Beach:
The Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia (GOCSA) held its annual Blessing of the Water ceremony at Henley Beach jetty on Sunday, January 8.
Around 28 people, including four young women, braved the hot day and waited for their chance to grab the wooden Holy Cross that was thrown by Archimandrite Markos Papapanagiotou into the waters.
Adelaide cafe owner, Fotis Likouris, won the Holy Cross and told The Greek Herald on the day he felt ‘blessed’ to retrieve it for the third time.
Photos: Martina Simos.Fotis Likouris.
Fotis first retrieved the wooden cross in 2012 and in 2015, but nearly didn’t participate this year because of an injury to his foot. It was two separate incidents that gave him an ‘inkling’ there was a good chance it could be a case of third time lucky, so on the day Fotis decided to take part. He also joked to his wife to keep the engine running because he wouldn’t be very long.
The first incident, he said, was finding a cross that had been lost more than ten years ago, in a soccer bag.
“To be honest I had an inkling, not just this morning but a few months back when I found my baptism cross that I was baptised in,” Fotis said.
“I was wearing the (baptism) cross the first time I retrieved the wooden cross in 2012. I also won the coin in the Vasilopita this year and I said it’s going to be to be a good year.
“I wasn’t intending on going as I snapped my Achilles heel, ten weeks back and I have a limp.”
Fotis said taking part in this event is a feeling that is difficult to explain.
“It’s a really empowering moment,” the father of two young girls said. “When you hold the cross, it feels really good.”
Fotis said he saw the priest release the dove with his left hand and didn’t think the cross would land near him but once the priest swapped and held the wooden cross with his right hand, he felt a feeling of optimism.
“When you see the cross being thrown in the water, you look at it and think – can it land near me?” he said. “This year I saw the priest come to the end of the jetty and I thought, ‘Yes, he’s going to throw it near me’.”
Official guests at the event included SA Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Zoe Bettison MP, representing the SA Premier, Peter Malinauskas MP.
Minister Bettison said after two years it was great being able to celebrate such a significant intercultural event that brings people together.
GOCSA’s newly elected president, Peter Gardiakos, also thanked the efforts of the volunteers who worked behind the scenes.
“GOCSA has celebrated the Epiphany at the iconic Henley Beach foreshore for more than 90 years,” Mr Gardiakos said.
“It remains an important annual event not just for our Orthodox calendar but the calendar for all South Australians, who come out to enjoy the rich culture, traditions, food and dance.”
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, District of Adelaide Glenelg:
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, District of Adelaide Glenelg also held their Blessing of the Waters ceremony at Glenelg Jetty for the 43rd successive year.
His Grace Bishop Silouan of Sinope, together with Adelaide’s Orthodox Christian clergy, led a procession onto the Glenelg Jetty for the annual event.
In attendance were a number of prominent dignitaries including the Leader of SA Liberals, David Speirs MP; Stephen Patterson MP; the Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Jing Lee MLC; and the President of the Inter-communities Council of SA, Dr Vladimir Devrelis; among many others.
George Kipriz ultimately retrieved the Holy Cross and said the race was “fierce” but it was “really special” to have his two sons next to him. This was the fourth time George had won the cross.
The ceremony was followed by the traditional Glenelg Greek Festival which took place over two days on Saturday, January 7 and Sunday, January 8.
Greek Orthodox Community of the Nativity of Christ Port Adelaide:
The Greek Orthodox Community of the Nativity of Christ also held their annual Blessing of the Waters ceremony at Port Adelaide on Sunday.
People gathered at the port to watch as young boys jumped in to retrieve a Holy Cross thrown into the waters by parish priest Father Ioannis. Elia Hanias was the winner on the day.
Australian Capital Territory:
Canberra’s Greek community gathered together at Casuarina Sands on Sunday, January 8 to celebrate the annual Blessing of the Waters.
The event began with a Matins and Divine Liturgy service at the local St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church presided over by Father Petros Kipouros.
After the service, Father Kipouros and the parishioners travelled to Casuarina Sands to witness as Nikitas Paraschou retrieved the Holy Cross.
Nikitas Paraschou.
Tasmania:
The Greek community of Tasmania held a historic Blessing of the Waters ceremony on Sunday, January 8 in the presence of Bishop Bartholomew of Charioupolis. The event marked the first time a Greek Orthodox Bishop blessed the waters of Tasmania.
Following a Divine Liturgy at The Greek Orthodox Church of St George The Martyr in Hobart, Tasmania, clergy and parishioners moved outdoors for the Epiphany celebration.
Swimmers could be seen diving for the Holy Cross, with Ioannis Anagnostis being named the victor on the day.
Papamichail will play against the top-ranked player in her qualifying group, Hungarian Reka Luca Jani, No.10 on the board and No.112 in the world ranking.
If she manages to beat Jani, she will play either the Brazilian Carolina Alves or the Serbian Olga Danilovic in the second round.
In the third and final round of qualifying, she meets France’s Clara Burel, No.17 on the board and No.122 in the world.
Despina Papamichail. Photos: Bill Roumeliotis.
Grammatikopoulou will face the Spanish Marina Bassols Ribera, No.18 on the board and No.123 in the world ranking.
If she wins, she will play against either Kristina Mladenovic and Maddison Inglis in the second round. In the third and final round she will cross paths with the American Katie Volynets, No.11 on the board and No.113 in the world ranking.
Both Greek tennis players, who were in Sydney until Sunday due to Greece’s United Cup commitments, will make their Australian Open debuts on Tuesday.
Valentini Grammatikopoulou at United Cup. Photo: Mark Baker – staff, AP.Despina Papamichail. Photo: Bill Roumeliotis
In an exclusive interview with The Greek Herald, Despina said she’s looking forward to the qualifiers.
”I am in Melbourne, carrying experiences and successes from the United Cup, where I was a member of the Greek team that reached the top four teams of the United Cup,” Despina said.
“I am participating for the second year in a row in the qualifying phase of the Australian Open, where last year I was eliminated from the round… But this year I believe that I will have a better course as with my new coach Ortega Olmedo, I have improved a lot in the last six months and I believe it will come to me on Tuesday.
“I have faced my next opponent Reka Luca Jani several years ago, she beat me, but since then a lot has changed and I believe that now I am in a better position.
“I want the Greek fans near me to come to the game, to support me and celebrate my success together.”
The controversial career of tennis player, Nick Kyrgios, is the focus point of the first episode of the new Netflix series, Break Point, which will be available in Australia on January 13, The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) reports.
The episode follows the 27 year old’s journey to last year’s Australian Open in Melbourne, Victoria as the series takes a close look at the lives of a number of next generation tennis players.
Maria Sakkari, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Paula Badosa and Thanasi Kokkinakis are also among the athletes featuring in the Netflix documentary. Break Point shows their ups and downs throughout the 2022 season.
In a glimpse of the first episode seen by the SMH,Kyrgios can be seen talking in an emotional way to his girlfriend Costeen Hatzi about the struggles he had to overcome in the past. He describes the first four or five years of his tennis career as ‘chaotic.’
Behind the scenes with Nick Kyrgios in the upcoming Netflix documentary. Credit: Netflix.
“I can’t keep doing this. I have to be kinder to myself,” Kyrgios can be heard telling Costeen in a video about his way of living when he was on tour. He stressed he was spiralling out of control and drinking every single night.
“For my mental health, I could never be one of those players again that plays all year round. I couldn’t do that. I value my family, my close, close friends and Cossie too much to put tennis in front of that any more. I don’t think that’s healthy.”
Haha so after all this, all the media, journalism saying how bad I am for the sport, disrespecting the game & just a pure villain, I am going to be the number 1 episode on Netflix… to grow our fan base, basically trying to put tennis on the map again 🤭
US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez has publicly condemned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s continuous aggressive rhetoric towards Greece.
According to Ekathimerini,the senator said in a tweet on Friday: “Erdogan’s continued threats against Greece are entirely unacceptable behaviour for the leader of a NATO country. These absurd intimidations must stop.”
Erdogan’s continued threats against #Greece are entirely unacceptable behavior for the leader of a @NATO country. These absurd intimidations must stop. https://t.co/hCWhdMTcnH
— Senate Foreign Relations Committee (@SFRCdems) January 6, 2023
Last December, Erdogan threatened Greece with a missile attack “unless you stay calm.” Just last week, Erdogan again threatened Greece and said the country should “behave well” if it wants to stay out of trouble.
The threats came as result of Turkey’s new military missile called Tayfun, which has a range of 560 kilometres – more than double that of the existing missiles in the country’s arsenal.
