Although I have been multiple times to the Panathenaic Stadium or Kallimarmaro (beautiful marble) every new visit strikes a fresh chord.
Built entirely of white marble, the stadium was first constructed on the site of a simple racecourse by the Athenian statesman Lykourgos c. 400 BC, primarily for the Panathenaic Games. It was rebuilt in marble by Herodes Atticus, an Athenian Roman senator, by 144 AD it had a capacity of 50,000 seats. After the rise of Christianity in the 4th century it was largely abandoned, but was excavated in 1869 and hosted the Zappas Olympics in 1870 and 1875. After being refurbished, it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the first modern Olympics in 1896.
The reason for my visit, a few days ago, was a Taekwondo event within the framework of the Together in Sport program, titled Together in Taekwondo.
More than 400 young Taekwondo athletes, boys and girls, took part in a series of competitions and poomsae.
As I entered the stadium an impressive number of black-belted teenagers were literally flying about in breathtaking movements—it was like watching a Ninja movie.
On the side, smaller kids in helmets were performing more basic moves.
In the second part of the event, young refugees of all ages and from a myriad countries mingled with the Greek kids and got a chance to try the sport for themselves.
Emotions ran high, there was much laughter and bantering as big boys tried various kicks while tiny girls in skirts spun cartwheels around them.
The event was rounded up with speeches, awards and gifts and there was also an art exhibition titled ‘We are all on the same team’, sponsored by the High Comission for Refugees, with drawings, posters and comics by 1.800 students of all ages.
The President of the Teakwondo Federation declared that it was a dream come true for them to find themselves in the historic stadium.
Together in Sport is a European project implemented by METAdrasi, an NGO helping refugees, in cooperation with the Hellenic Olympic Committee and the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB)
The main aim of the project is to use sports as a social medium to give the chance to asylum-seeking children (from 7 to 17) to learn about and take part in organized sports—but also through sports to develop relationships with their peers from the local communities. The project enjoys the support of Μunicipalities in Attica and the rest of Greece.
Amongst the aims of the project is to cultivate and promote values like mutual respect, team spirit and intercultural tolerance—as well as improve the everyday life of these kids and enhance their sense of belonging.
The programme also includes recreational and cultural activities of an educational nature (visits to museums, archaeological sites, sports facilities etc.)
The above is to give some general information, but what was wonderful about this particular event was the sense of enjoyment in all present and the appreciation of being in such a unique place as the sun fell.
Letters from Athens 