The American College of Greece | ACG 2025 International Sports Festival: A Celebration of Excellence, Sportsmanship, and International Unity

The ACG 2025 International Sports Festival came to a thrilling conclusion on Friday, April 4, with an Awards Ceremony held at the Deree Gym – A. Christopher Court. After three days of exciting competition and intercultural exchange, the festival celebrated the outstanding performances and exceptional sportsmanship of student athletes from across the globe.

The evening began with an energetic performance by the Deree Cheer Team, setting the stage for the awards presentation. Dr. Theodore Priskomatis, Executive Director of Athletics & Recreation at ACG, opened the ceremony with heartfelt remarks, thanking participants, coaches, volunteers, and supporters for their dedication and enthusiasm.

“Dear Colleagues, Dear Student-Athletes, thank you for making the ACG 2025 International Sports Festival such a vibrant and memorable event! Your enthusiasm, sportsmanship, and energy made all the difference,” said Dr. Priskomatis.

Dr. Priskomatis also extended his gratitude to key figures: “A heartfelt message of thanks to President Dr. David G. Horner for his unwavering support of athletics, Senior Vice President Mrs. Iliana Lazana for her advocacy of key athletic initiatives, and to the entire team of referees, scorekeepers, volunteers, and coaches who made this event possible.”

The festival featured 530 student-athletes from 9 universities representing five countries, competing in 10 sports over 63 team games, 37 tennis matches, and 18 swim races. In recognition of their leadership, plaques were presented to delegation heads from participating universities, including the American University of Beirut, Lebanese American University, and the University of Balamand, among others.

The competition was fierce, but the results spoke volumes about the talent and teamwork on display. In the swimming events, AUB triumphed in the women’s competition, while ACG claimed victory in the men’s swimming. Tennis saw NKUA dominate the women’s singles, while AUB was victorious in the men’s competition. In soccer, ACG’s men’s team took first place, while the women’s soccer champions were JCU. AUD came out on top in both men’s and women’s volleyball, while LAU’s women’s basketball team claimed the gold.

Recognition of Delegation Heads

Plaques of appreciation were presented to the following university representatives by the Senior Vice President of Administration and Pierce, Mrs. Iliana Lazana, and the Executive Director of Athletics & Recreation, Dr. Theodore Priskomatis

AUB – American University of Beirut: Dr. Tarek Abou Omar
LAU – Lebanese American University: Mr. Joseph El Nar
UOB – University of Balamand: Mr. Ghaleb Halimi
AUD – American University in Dubai: Mr. Joseph Nohra
JCU – John Cabot University: Mr. Marco Iorio
AUBG – American College in Bulgaria: Mr. Yasen Nedelchev
NKUA – National and Kapodistrian University of Athens: Mr. Christos Chouliaras
NTUA – National Technical University of Athens: Dr. Anastasia Tsouroufli

“We are extremely proud of every participant in this festival,” said Dr. Priskomatis. “Congratulations to all for your ethos, fair play, and remarkable performances! Thank you and safe travels back home.”

The overall festival ranking saw ACG – Deree securing the top spot, with LAU and AUB rounding out the top three. ACG’s dominant performances across multiple sports earned them the title of overall champions for the 2025 International Sports Festival.

The closing ceremony was marked by a final cheer performance from the Deree Cheer Team and heartfelt congratulations to all participants for their sportsmanship, fair play, and remarkable achievements. As the festival came to a close, anticipation for next year’s event began to build, with ACG continuing its commitment to fostering international unity and athletic excellence.

TOTAL ACG 2025 ISF RANKING

ACG – Deree – The American College of Greece
LAU – Lebanese American University
AUB – American University of Beirut
AUD – American University in Dubai
UOB – University of Balamand
NTUA – National Technical University of Athens
JCU – John Cabot University
NKUA – National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
AUBG – American College in Bulgaria

Sports Results

Trophies, medals, and certificates of participation were presented to the winners of the competitions by the Senior Vice President of Administration and Pierce, Mrs. Iliana Lazana, and the Executive Director of Athletics & Recreation, Dr. Theodore Priskomatis.

Women’s Swimming