With a new year comes new beginnings. The same can be said for the Greek Sub-Branch of RSL which starts the year with a new name – Greek Returned Servicemen League of NSW (GRSL).
Secretary of the GRSL, Mr George Chiotis, tells The Greek Herald that the change needed to happen after RSL NSW identified the Greek sub-branch as “very small.”
“We were told that there were two ‘solutions’: either we would have needed to join with a bigger chapter, or the branch wouldn’t exist anymore. So instead, by mutual agreement of our members and RSL NSW, we decided to become independent,” Mr Chiotis explains.
The Greek Sub-Branch of RSL has a new name – Greek Returned Servicemen League of NSW (GRSL). Photo supplied.
This independence does not strain the relationship with RSL NSW, Mr Chiotis stresses. In fact, the relationship remains stronger than ever and members of the GRSL are still members of RSL NSW for life.
“All it means is that now we are free to hold barbeques and events with our members and their families, without having to get permission from anyone,” Mr Chiotis tells The Greek Herald.
“For me, that is the most important thing you can do for an elderly person who fought for our country and now, in his old age, just wants to make memorable moments with their family.”
Secretary of the GRSL, Mr George Chiotis. Photo supplied.
In charge of making these events possible is the new Board of Directors of the GRSL. The board includes the President, George Giakoumidis, Vice Presidents, Peter Tsigounis and George Karountzos, Secretary, George Chiotis, Treasurer, Bill Iliopoulos, Welfare Officer, Andrew Kitsos and committee members, John Theodoropoulos and Arthur Andriopoulos.
So far, they have a ‘Vasilopita cutting’ event scheduled to take place on Sunday, January 31 at 1pm at C-Side Restaurant, 110 General Holmes Drive, Kyeemagh. Mr Chiotis says the event costs $40 per person, including food and soft drinks.
Proud members of the GRSL. Photo supplied.
“We will start with this event and I’m sure we will do other events to show people that we are now independent and that our members are proud soldiers.
“And that’s why I ask anyone, who has a father or grandfather who fought in the war, to become members of the GRSL if they want. Annual membership is now $10.”
If you would like to attend the vasilopita cutting, please RSVP by January 23 to Bill Iliopoulos on 0438 290 640 or George Chiotis on 0413 213 377.
The highly anticipated return of the NSW NPL season is fast approaching, with Sydney Olympic FC to face off against last year’s champions Sydney United 58 FC in the first round on February 27 at Belmore Sports Ground.
The squad recommenced training on Monday 4 January with a host of new Sydney Olympic signings, including Michael Glassock, arriving from Pegasus FC in Hong Kong, Daniel Dias, Luke Kairies, Marley Peterson, Yu Hasegawa and Brendan Cholakian.
Head Coach and Olympic Hall of Fame Legend Ante Juric said the players have enjoyed a great pre-season and are ready for the 2021 season start.
“The boys have been great in pre-season, showing an excellent attitude and all the players have been working extremely hard. Pleasingly the new players have already settled in very well, which can be difficult at big clubs like Olympic, so I’m happy about this”, Juric said.
“We are excited for the season ahead and as a group are driven to be successful and driven to add to the history of trophies and championships that this club is about, we can’t wait for the first game to come around so we can put all our hard pre-season training into action against Sydney United”, Juric added.
Trial games for the Sydney Olympic Men’s 1st Grade commence in late January. See the schedule of these matches below:
Date
Senior Men – 1st Grade
Saturday 30 January – 7.00pm
V Macarthur Rams at Lynwood Park
Saturday 6 February – 6.30pm
V Blacktown City at Lily Homes Stadium
Wednesday 10 February – 7.30pm
V Rydalmere at Rydalmere Park
Saturday 13 February – 6.30pm
V Manly United at Cromer Park
Wednesday 17 February – 7.00pm
V Hakoah FC – Venue TBC
Saturday 20 February – 6.00pm
V St George City FA at Peakhurst Park
Saturday 27 February – 5.30pm
Round 1 NSW NPL V Sydney United at Belmore Sports Ground
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis congratulated the student winners of the International Robotics Olympiad, who took home the top prize earlier this month, inviting them to the Maximos Mansion.
Greek students Iris Angelopoulou, Vasiliki Iliadi, Christos Rentzis and Alkiviadis Kotsikopoulos won gold by creating a “smart” white cane for the blind.
The Greeks, who were on the PlaisioBots team, beat teams from countries such as Korea and Russia, who have enormous experience in robotics.
“I have always been very close to all the robotics competitions and I want to tell you that I am excited by the talent, ingenuity, and interest shown by the robotics teams,” said Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
“And when of course they can and do excel in international competitions, it is even better. You make us, all of us, extremely proud”.
The smart cane that was created is specially designed for outdoor areas, recognising obstacles and their position, protecting the user’s head from obstacles, and communicating with the traffic lights to inform the user if they are green or red. It also has a bluetooth tracking application.
The Greek Prime Minister asked the students how they chose the idea for the smart cane. They explained that they were inspired by ab image of a visually impaired woman who had difficulty crossing a pedestrian crossing due to parked cars, and used market research to better understand the needs of potential users.
“It is interesting that you did market research,” he said.
“Technology has to work for someone. Have users. And what you are saying is that in the end, a person with a visual impairment may have a much greater response to this type of alert – unlike an audible signal – it is very interesting. Impressive.”
“The next step is now to get a patent and produce it.”
The PlaisioBots team was formed by the company Plaisio and is staffed by children and relatives of employees of the company.
A 117-year-old Greek yiayia in Western Athens will finally be able to hug her children in 20 days after receiving the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday.
According to Keep Talking Greece, Mrs Eleftheria is a resident at a care home for elderly in Nea Ionia. In Greece, visits to aged care homes by family members have been banned for months due to the pandemic.
Vaccination was not mandatory, yet Mrs Eleftheria wanted to receive it because it increased her chances of finally hugging her family again. The doctor of the facility considered that the health condition of the Mrs Eleftheria allowed her to be vaccinated as she wished.
The vaccination took place with no complications, with the aged care resident now reportedly waiting for another 20 days in order to receive the second dose of the vaccine.
Mrs Eleftheria was born on 12th of April, 1903, on the island of Lefkada, being three months younger than the Guinness Book of World Records’ oldest women in the world.
Vaccination of aged care residents and staff was labelled a high priority by the Greek government. By the end of the week, more than 4,500 people in 75 facilities are expected to be vaccinated.
‘The Fig Tree Replanted’ is set to be showcasing a host of world-class Australian performers from Greek, Jewish, Italian and other backgrounds in a special live concert.
Two shows of music and storytelling will be performed live in front of a seated audience in the idyllic gardens of Melbourne’s historic Hellenic Museum, as well as streamed online for the world, in February 2021.
The concert is a reinterpretation of The Fig Tree, one of The Boite’s most successful artistic productions in its 40-year history. In The Fig Tree (Text, 2002) Zable recounts moving stories of his Jewish ancestors’ journeys to Australia from Eastern Europe and of his partner Dora’s family from the Greek island of Ithaca. It is a celebration of these journeys and a reflection of the hardships of those who undertook them.
“We are a nation of Indigenous peoples and immigrants, a new world with an ancient past, a land of many melodies,” said Arnold Zable.
“The Fig Tree project is an exploration of displacement and belonging, through the beauty of story and song, performed on the lands of the Wurundjeri people, in search of that place where we can all meet.”
Many of the world-class musicians who starred in the original line-up, including ARIA winners Kavisha Mazzella and Irine Vela, Anthea Sidiropoulos, Klezmania’s Freydi Mrocki, David Krycer and Lionel Mrocki, Jacob Papadopoulos and Klezmeritis’ Ernie Gruner and Phil Carroll, will reprise their live performances, rearranged from the original works.
Other leading Australian world-music artists including Achilles Yiangoulli and Eugene Belenko will take to the stage in place of several musicians no longer with us, including Costas Tsicaderis, Spiro Papoutsis and David Breytman. The new show is dedicated to the late trio.
The Boite managing director Eyal Chipkiewicz said the partnership with Kadimah and the Hellenic Museum was a fantastic opportunity to use the power of the arts to establish cross- community links and collaborate to bring together artists and audiences from multiple backgrounds.
“These Australian musicians from Greek, Jewish, Italian and other backgrounds will share the stage, collaborating cross-culturally,’’ he said.
“In doing so, they bring to life the power of diversity and reflect the role of migration in shaping Melbourne’s cultural and social identity.’’
The event will take place at the 2014 MPavillion, now housed in the gardens at the Hellenic Museum, an architecturally prized structure inspired by Classical Greek design and outback sheds, helping to highlight the significance of migration in the greater Australian identity of today.
“We are delighted to co-host The Fig Tree Replanted, an event that not only celebrates our rich cross-cultural connections but shares stories that both resonate with us and remain relevant today,” said Hellenic Museum CEO Sarah Craig.
Greek lawmakers in a vote Thursday approved a defense procurement program to purchase 18 French-made Rafale fighter planes, part of an armaments plan announced by the government in September.
Greece has earmarked 11.5 billion euros ($14 billion) for the modernisation of its armed forces over the next five years, at a time of increased tension with neighbouring Turkey.
Relations between the two NATO members, often strained, deteriorated sharply last year, with warships facing off in the eastern Mediterranean in a dispute over maritime boundaries and energy rights.
Delivery of the 18 Rafale jets — 12 currently in service in France and six new planes to be built by Dassault Aviation — is scheduled to begin mid-year and to be completed over two years. The jets and the purchase of compatible air-to-air Meteor missiles are expected to cost 2.3 billion euros ($3.4 billion).
(L) Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis arrives for an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. (John Thys, Pool via AP)
Lawmakers from the governing center-right party as well as the two largest opposition parties voted in favour of the program, backing legislation that was fast-tracked through parliament.
Government spokesman Christos Tarantilis said the program was part of the government’s actions “for the immediate reinforcement of the deterrent capabilities of our armed forces.”
The overall modernisation drive for Greece’s armed forces includes upgrades for the army, navy and air force, and the hiring of 15,000 personnel.
The program features plans to purchase warships, anti-submarine warfare helicopters and drones, and an upgrade of Greece’s F-16 fighter jet fleet by 2027.
Greece is pushing to return 1,450 people currently in migrant reception centres on Lesbos and other Aegean islands to Turkey, Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said on Thursday, calling on Ankara to respect asylum agreements with the European Union.
Mitarachi said Greece had submitted a request to the European Commission and EU border agency Frontex for the immediate return of the migrants, who he said had arrived from Turkey and whose asylum applications had been rejected.
The move comes ahead of a planned resumption of talks to resolve longstanding territorial disputes between Greece and Turkey following months of tensions between the two NATO allies in the Aegean.
Migrant returns to Turkey, under a 2016 EU-Turkey agreement, largely dried up last year due to the coronavirus crisis. But Mitarachi said conditions were now in place for them to resume thanks to new technology and COVID-19 testing procedures.
Children stand next to the sea in the Kara Tepe camp for refugees and migrants on the island of Lesbos, Greece, October 14, 2020. REUTERS/Elias Marcou
“We expect Turkey to step up its efforts … First, to prevent the passage of boats departing from its shores bound for our country and European Union. And second to accept the return of migrants,” Mitarachi said.
He said most of the 1,450 individuals slated for return were on the island of Lesbos, where a fire last year destroyed the main camp housing irregular migrants, while others were on the islands of Kos, Samos and Chios.
Hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees used Greece as their entry point to Europe through Turkey in 2015 and 2016, until the deal between Ankara and the EU reduced the flow across the Greek and Turkish land and sea borders.
Turkey hosts more than three million refugees and migrants, many from neighbouring Syria, while tens of thousands are waiting in Greece for asylum applications to be processed, mostly in camps where conditions have been described as dire.
To observe the powerful connection that Greek Australians have with sport, people need to look no further than the leaders of some of the nation’s biggest sporting clubs, stretching across the NRL and A-League.
Yet, there are none prouder of their heritage than Jason Sourasis, Chairman of Western United FC.
Jason’s family is part of a long list of Kos Club Melbourne presidents. His father was president of the club in the 1970’s, with his mother, Kerry, holding the fort as the current president.
“As you get older, you appreciate the Greek heritage. All those Saturdays I missed out on sports to go to Greek school, but I’m thankful I did go,” Jason Sourasis says to The Greek Herald.
The main struggle, recognised by many Greek association leaders in Australia, is to keep the club’s historical importance alive, while building its relevance with the second and third generation Greek-Australians.
Jason Sourasis, chairman of Western United FC. Photo: Supplied
“I still have uncles and aunts there that are in their 80s, and that’s their social life and that’s their connection to my generation, my kids’ generation.
“But how do you hand it down? I’ll be passionate about my kids speaking Greek but a lot of kids don’t speak it, so how do you hand down the heritage and the love of Kos?”
Jason says that the love for his Greek heritage, particularly for his home island of Kos, began when first went to the island as a young adult. Since then, he takes his family and guests every year to experience its natural beauty.
“I brought some of the biggest athletes from Australia to Kos, including Scott Pendlebury who is the captain of Collingwood Football Club, Jack Ziebell who is captain of North Melbourne.”
North Melbourne footballers at the popular Kos beach bar, ‘Alibaba’. Photo: Supplied.
AFL players from Collingwood and North Melbourne visiting Kos. Photo: Supplied
“Everyone who knows me, knows my love of Kos… so I like to say I’m putting Kos on the map,” Jason says jokingly.
Jason got married in Kos in September 2019 at a small church in the beautiful town of Zia, which rests on the slopes of Mount Dikaios. Jason also baptised his youngest daughter in the same church one month later.
Recognising his connection with his homeland, Jason says there’s “no doubt” him or his children will take the reigns as president.
“Me or my kids will be connected with the club forever.”
Jason Sourasis on Western Unted FC: “We’re in it for the long game”
Western United FC was one of two clubs, along with Macarthur FC, that was established as part of an expansion process in Australia’s domestic football competition, the A-League.
A passionate sportsperson, Jason grew up barracking for South Melbourne, a historically proud Greek club.
“My happiest childhood memories were going with Dad and all my cousins to the football,” Jason says.
“It was another place in the 70s and 80s where you went to feel safe, but you went there for that great pride of South Melbourne.”
Jason is director and founding member of Strategic Financial Group Australia, which primarily invests in portfolios of assets within sectors, with sports being a high valued sector.
“We represent other people’s money and are ultimately always looking for new big opportunities,” Jason says.
According to Jason, Western United FC was the first public private partnership in sport to be identified in Australia.
“The private city council, Wyndham City Council, is our partner. They’ve given us a lot of land in return for us developing it and building a stadium, an elite sports precinct for the community, which we will co-own with Wyndham.
“But ultimately, we had to get a team and a national competition licence to trigger that partnership.”
Part of the club’s mission, Jason says, is to bring the community in the West together through sport, similar to Western Sydney Wanderers successful efforts in the greater Sydney region.
“I think that the tribalism that ethnicity used to bring in, which brought up good and bad, I think that’s going to be replaced by geographical tribalism,” Jason says.
“It’s a longer term game for a more sustainable game in Australia, because you just basically get people that are born in the west of Melbourne or the west of Sydney supporting Western United or Western Sydney Wanderers.”
Adding to this, Jason says he is proud of the way Western United fans have accepted the newly formed club, with fans stretching from Geelong to Ballarat.
“Especially for a covid year to end up with five thousand odd members and a pretty loyal supporter base. We think it’s a really good foundation for what we’re planning for years to come.”
“I think we’re aiming for seven to ten thousand members this year in our second year. But again, we’re doing so much community work at schools, at soccer clubs, and ultimately we’re in it for the long game.”
Jason concluded by saying that the club has added great strength this year, bringing in exciting young talents while keeping veterans such as Alessandro Diamanti, who finished the 2019-20 season as the best player of the year, and Besart Berisha.
“So I’d be disappointed if we didn’t go a little bit further… making the grand final. So that’s our that’s our expectation for this year.”
The Greek Community of Tasmania is holding an inaugural film screening of Vasilis Tsikaras’ film, Poliorkia, on March 25 at 8pm to kick-start their celebrations for the 200-year anniversary of the Greek Revolution this year.
The film, which was made in Greece in 2019, is inspired by the story of the Battle for Dovra Monastery in 1822 in Veria, Greece.
The Greek Community of Tasmania is holding an inaugural film screening of Vasilis Tsikaras’ film, Poliorkia. Photo supplied.
It follows the love story of two young Greeks as they prepare to secretly get married in a church that is surrounded by Turkish troops.
Christina Papastamatis, a committee member of the Bicentennial Community of Tasmania, tells The Greek Herald that anyone who is over 15 years old is encouraged to attend the film and enjoy an event which is “rare” for Tasmania’s Greek community.
“It’s rare that the Greek community of Hobart can attend the cinema and watch a movie in their native language, based on such a significant historical event, and to celebrate the Bicentennial with a film set during the period,” Ms Papastamatis says.
The film follows the love story of two young Greeks as they prepare to secretly get married in a church that is surrounded by Turkish troops. Photo supplied.
“With heartfelt gratitude and respect, the Greek community of Tasmania would like to thank the director of the film, Mr Vasilis Tsikaras, who is allowing us to show his film, on such a momentous occasion. Tasmanian Greeks are proud of our Greek heritage and our history.”
Tickets for the film are available now via this link. Children (16 years old and under): $15. Adults (17 years old and above): $20.
Greek Australian, Angelique Cassimatis, will replace Kerri-Anne Kennerley in the stage musical ‘Pippin,’ after the television personality broke her collarbone when she fell from a trapeze midway through a performance.
Ms Cassimatis, who was Kennerley’s understudy and cast dance captain, will stay in the role for the remainder of the production’s time at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Ms Cassimatis said producers had made some “slight changes to the performance after Kennerley’s accident,” including reducing the height of the trapeze by about 20cm.
Angelique Cassimatis as Berthe in Pippin. Picture: Christian Gilles / News Corp Australia.
“We have just lowered it slightly and we have a couple more people spotting around,” Ms Cassimatis explained to the Australian media outlet.
“And there’s a few tweaks to the very end of the routine so that there is no way anything could happen again ever.
“I am very confident with the people that I get to work with on the show.”
