Talks
Together we play. Basketball for all
Thursday June 23, 17:15, Stavros Niarchos Hall GNO
Sport has the ability to challenge us and help all of us overcome a wide range of societal prejudices. With the collaboration of the nonprofit Field of Life and Special Olympics International, an inclusive basketball game aims to help challenge prejudices about disability, promote mutual respect, and transform public perceptions. After the end of the game, there will be a short audience discussion featuring legendary basketball player, coach, and CEO of the Field of Life Panagiotis Giannakis, David Evangelista, President & Managing Director of Special Olympics Europe Eurasia and Dimitris Giannakakis, COO of Field of Life.
A series of basketball games with mixed teams—players with and without disabilities—was organized by the nonprofit Field of Life and Special Olympics International in Stavros Niarchos Hall at the Greek National Opera.
"What you see here is a basketball court, but also a classroom, where we will all learn a lot about the sport, but also about life," said David S. Evangelista, President and Managing Director of Special Olympics Europe Eurasia, in welcoming the audience.
The first match was held between two teams consisting of players with and without disabilities. The teams were created through the "Play Unified: Learn Unified" project, a collaborative effort between Special Olympics and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).
The "Play Unified: Learn Unified" initiative is an educational and experiential program that enables people with and without intellectual disabilities to participate together in sports activities. Apart from Greece, the project has been launched in 14 countries with the aim of promoting cooperation between people with and without intellectual disabilities, on and off the field, and breaking stereotypes.
The second match took place between deaf and hearing players and was repeated with hearing players wearing earplugs to simulate hearing loss.
The matches ended with spectators warmly applauding all players.
"These kids have a lot of hard work to do," said Panagiotis Giannakis, CEO of Field of Life, coach, and former basketball player, referring to the players. He also wore earplugs during the games. "It's hard not being able to hear when you play," he said.
"I really enjoyed it. These kids have tremendous power in them and we thank them for the message they are sending," he added. He said they need a stimulus like basketball "to bring out great character traits and amazing skills."
The nonprofit Field of Life was born out of the vision of SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos and Panagiotis Giannakis, who wanted to create development opportunities for children in areas with limited access and to motivate them to lead a healthy lifestyle.
When Field of Life CEO Dimitris Giannakis asked hearing players how they felt when their hearing was impaired, they all responded they understood the difficulties and said they made substantial, new friendships through the experience.