Cricket in Greece is mainly played in Corfuwhere it first appeared when the island was still under British control. The first game ever played among British Naval officers on April 23, 1823on the day of the feast day of the patron saint of England, Saint George.
Adolescents and adults from Corfu they were enticed by this gentle and calm recreational team game and showed great interest in learning it. For their part, the English were happy to teach and spread it. From that moment, it only took Corfu 12 years to establish the game and create the first 2 local teams to face the British. One was made up of lower and middle class players and was called Little ones and the other by people of high social status and it was called Adults.
After the withdrawal of the British from Corfu in 1864 and the Union of the Ionian Islands with Greece, 2 new groups were created, h Goggakis Company and Kampitsis Association. Ὴ lack of players however forced the 2 clubs to merge, creating in 1893 the Corfu Gymnastic Association (K.G.S.)one of the oldest clubs in Greece and the only rival for the visiting Royal Navy crew teams Corfu.
Historically cricket appeared on the Olympic Games schedule, the 1900while it was also scheduled to be included in his Games 1904 in St. Louis, but due to lack of facilities it was not possible. In Corfu, cricket was not just a sporting spectacle, but a unique social and cultural event, which, at first, was directly associated with the powerful bourgeoisie and the “old aristocracies” and then developed into a point of reference and seduced the whole world of the island. The ‘cricket day’ became the quintessential one entertainment of the Corfu peoplea unique opportunity to go out and meet, an integral and sought-after element of their everyday life.
The 1923 was founded on Hard-working and 1925 The G.S.K. Byron, in memory of the great poet. Stations in the pre-war history of cricket on the island are considered years 1904 and 1932, when the crews respectively of some 40 and 46 ships of the British Mediterranean fleet took part in the local cricket matches. The 1932 the Princess of Wales was also present on the battleship Queen Elizabeth.
With the withdrawal of the British from the Mediterranean post war, cricket survived largely because of constant advertising by the British media (BBC, Daily Telegraph), with player interviews and the television broadcast of matches from the island. As a result, British groups continued to visit the island. Their contribution was also great British Airways (British Airways), who facilitated such visits. Among others, they visited Corfu the Eton Ramblers, Cricketer XI, Old Wellingtonians and Lord Taverners (captured on film).
The 1966, the year of the inauguration of the London-Corfu line, British Airways hosted the representative Greek team for a week in London during its first trip abroad. After 1966, teams began to be sent to England and their participation in tournaments there.
During the 70s the structure of cricket in Corfu changed with the joining of the sport to the Association of Hellenic Gymnastics and Sports Associations (SEGAS) and the creation of the first teams for children and teenagers. The 1976 a third cricket club was also founded, the A.O. Faix while the 1980 the old one revived Hard-working. The 1993 the were founded OH OK. Achilles and OH OK. Corfu.
The 1996 the Hellenic Cricket Federation (ELOC) is established under the auspices of which operate, in addition to the clubs, 6 National teams: Men’s and Women’s, Adolescents and Youth, Boys and Girls, which compete systematically in Pan-European and International championships. The main cricket grounds of Corfu is the historical site of the Espianada in the Central Square of Corfu, the stadium of Marina Gouvia.
EL.OK takes care of the training, education and retraining of Referees, Coaches and actively participates in sports and cultural issues. It cooperates with other sports organizations but also with organizations that pursue the same or parallel goals. The organization of annual international Youth and Men’s Championships are important sporting events, while the successful organization of European Championships places Greece in the first countries of preference for holding international competitions.
Beyond the development and spread of the sport, cricket contributes decisively to sports tourism of Corfu and of Greece in general as every year groups from abroad visit the island to participate in sports activities. Corfu is established in a place of meeting, competition, scientific entertainment, with cricket as a reference point. The Hellenic Cricket Federation implements special social programs for vulnerable social groups and contributes to the reduction of the marginalization of foreign youth, the development of skills, the cultivation of self-confidence and equality in society as a whole.
The Hellenic Cricket Federation is the only sports federation based outside of Athens. Every year the Panhellenic Championships of all outdoor categories are organized, which are held from May to October, and the Panhellenic Indoor Championships, which are held from November to April.
