Gymnasticos Syllogos Iraklis ( el, Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Ηρακλής, en, Gymnastics Club Heracles), commonly referred to as Iraklis, is a Greek multi-

sports club A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports. Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...

based in

Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...

. The club was founded in 1908 as "Macedonikos Gymnasticos Syllogos" (''Macedonian Gymnastics Club'') and is one of the oldest and most historic sports-clubs in Greece. It is named after

Heracles Heracles ( ; grc-gre, Ἡρακλῆς, , glory/fame of Hera), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptive ...

, the mythical Greek demigod. Their colours are

blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obs ...

cyan Cyan () is the color between green and blue on the visible spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a predominant wavelength between 490 and 520 nm, between the wavelengths of green and blue. In the subtractive color system, or CMYK color ...

and

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, inspired by the

Greek flag The national flag of Greece, popularly referred to as the "blue and white one" ( el, Γαλανόλευκη, ) or the "sky blue and white" (, ), is officially recognised by Greece as one of its national symbols and has nine equal horizontal strip ...

. Iraklis traces its roots back in 1899 when ''Omilos Filomouson'' (meaning ''Friends of Music Club'') was established. The club was established as a cultural union of the Greeks of Thessaloniki (then under Ottoman sovereignty), and in 1902 was founded also a sports department. After a merger with a local team, the club was re-founded on 29 November 1908, called ''Macedonikos Gymnasticos Syllogos'' (meaning Macedonian Gymnastics Club). A year later, "Iraklis" (

) was added to the club's name as an honour to the ancient Greek hero.

Departments

Iraklis is considered one of the most historical and important Greek sport clubs and maintains departments in many sports, including: * Iraklis F.C. (''founded in 1908, ceased to compete as a part of the club in 2011'') -

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

Iraklis B.C. Gymnastikos Syllogos Iraklis Basketball Club ( el, Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Ηρακλής Κ.Α.Ε., ) is a Greek professional basketball team that is located in Thessaloniki. It serves as the senior men's basketball section of the ...

(''founded in 1924'') -

Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

* Iraklis V.C. (''founded in 1921'') -

Volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

* Iraklis Track and field (''founded in 1908'') -

Track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

* Iraklis Handball (''founded in 1994'') -

Handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...

* Iraklis Rugby union (''founded in 2005'') -

Rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

* Iraklis Ice hockey (''founded in 2009'') -

Ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

* Iraklis Water polo (''founded in 1975'') -

Water polo Water polo is a competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the ball into the opposing team's goal. The team with the ...

Iraklis Swimming Gymnasticos Syllogos Iraklis ( el, Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Ηρακλής, en, Gymnastics Club Heracles), commonly referred to as Iraklis, is a Greek multi-sports club based in Thessaloniki. The club was founded in 1908 as "Mace ...

(''founded in 1975'') - Swimming * Iraklis Synchronized swimming (''founded in 1995'') -

Synchronized swimming Synchronized swimming (in British English, synchronised swimming) or artistic swimming is a sport where swimmers perform a synchronized choreographed routine, accompanied by music. The sport is governed internationally by FINA (the ''Fédérati ...

* Iraklis Freestyle wrestling (''founded in 1967'') -

Freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling ...

Iraklis Judo Gymnasticos Syllogos Iraklis ( el, Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Ηρακλής, en, Gymnastics Club Heracles), commonly referred to as Iraklis, is a Greek multi-sports club based in Thessaloniki. The club was founded in 1908 as "Mace ...

(''founded in 1979'') -

Judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...

Iraklis Amateur Boxing Gymnasticos Syllogos Iraklis ( el, Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Ηρακλής, en, Gymnastics Club Heracles), commonly referred to as Iraklis, is a Greek multi-sports club based in Thessaloniki. The club was founded in 1908 as "Mace ...

(''founded in 1965'') -

Amateur boxing Amateur boxing is a variant of boxing practiced at the collegiate level, at the Olympic Games, Pan American Games and Commonwealth Games, as well as many associations. Amateur boxing bouts are short in duration, comprising three rounds of three ...

Iraklis Weightlifting Gymnasticos Syllogos Iraklis ( el, Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Ηρακλής, en, Gymnastics Club Heracles), commonly referred to as Iraklis, is a Greek multi-sports club based in Thessaloniki. The club was founded in 1908 as "Mace ...

(''founded in 1967'') -

Weightlifting Weightlifting generally refers to activities in which people lift Weight training#Equipment, weights, often in the form of dumbbells or barbells. People lift various kinds of weights for a variety of different reasons. These may include various t ...

Iraklis Cycling Gymnasticos Syllogos Iraklis ( el, Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Ηρακλής, en, Gymnastics Club Heracles), commonly referred to as Iraklis, is a Greek multi-sports club based in Thessaloniki. The club was founded in 1908 as "Mace ...

(''founded in 1972'') -

Cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

Iraklis Fencing Gymnasticos Syllogos Iraklis ( el, Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Ηρακλής, en, Gymnastics Club Heracles), commonly referred to as Iraklis, is a Greek multi-sports club based in Thessaloniki. The club was founded in 1908 as "Mace ...

(''founded in 1972'') -

Fencing Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, s ...

* Iraklis Table tennis -

Table tennis Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...

Honours

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

* Greek Cup: 1 **1976 *

Balkans Cup The Balkans Cup was an international football competition for clubs from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia. It was introduced in 1961 and was very popular in the 1960s (the 1967 final attracted 42,000 spectators), being t ...

: 1 **1985

Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

Men * Greek Championships: 2 **1928, 1935 Women * Greek Championships: 3 **1968, 1971, 1972

Volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

Men *Greek Championships: 5 **2002, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2012 *Greek Cups: 6 **2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2012 *Greek Super Cups: 4 (record) **2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 *Greek Cup A1 Ethniki: 1 (record) **1999

Αthletics

Men *Greek Championships: 6 **1975, 1976, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1986 *Greek Cups: 2 **1979, 1990 Women *Greek Championships: 1 **1991 *Greek Cross Country Championships: 6 **1967, 1981, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2009 *Greek Cups: 3 **1989, 1990, 1991

Rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

Greek Championship Rugby Union The Greek Rugby Union Championship is the most important domestic competition of rugby union in Greece. It started in 2005 and is organised by Greek Rugby Federation. During the period that championships were held, the most titles were won by Ath ...

: 1 **2013

Freestyle wrestling

Men *Greek Championships: 11 **2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Fencing

Men *Greek Épée team championship: 1 **1983 Women *Greek Foil team championship: 1 **1978

European honours of team sports

Notable supporters

Grigoris Arnaoutoglou Grigoris Arnaoutoglou ( el, Γρηγόρης Αρναούτογλου; born December 17, 1973) is a well-known Greek television host. He is known for hosting morning daily entertaining show, Omorfos Kosmos To Proi as well as Sunday show Pio Poli ...

, TV presenter *

Thodoris Atheridis "Riot dog" is a term used by English-speaking media denoting any of the stray dogs that accompanied street protesters in Athens, Greece, in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, when the country was plunged into a severe recession by the Gre ...

, actor *

Ieroklis Michailidis Ieroklis Michailidis ( gr, Ιεροκλής Μιχαηλίδης, born 29 September 1960 in Ptolemaida Ptolemaida ( el, Πτολεμαΐδα, Ptolemaïda, Katharevousa: Πτολεμαΐς, ''Ptolemaïs'') is a town and a former municipality in ...

, actor * Antonis Remos, singer *

Dimitris Starovas Dimitris (Δημήτρης) is the Modern Greek form of the older forms Demetrios, Dimitrios (Δημήτριος, usually Latinized as Demetrius) and may refer to: *Dimitris Arvanitis (born 1980), Greek professional football defender who plays for ...

, musician *

Paschalis Terzis Paschalis Terzis ( el, Πασχάλης Τερζής; born 24 April 1949) is a popular Greek singer. Biography Terzis was born in Pylaia, a suburb of Thessaloniki. In his early teens, he began to sing with friends, some of whom helped him in his ...

, singer

Gallery

File:Iraklis 1930 31.jpg, The team for the 1930–31 season File:Kaftantzogleioexterior.jpg, Kaftanzoglio Stadium File:IraklisTeam2000.jpg, The team for the 1999–00 season File:Vasilis Xatzipanagis.jpg,

Vasilis Hatzipanagis Vasilis Hatzipanagis ( el, link=no, Βασίλης Χατζηπαναγής, , born 26 October 1954) is a Greek former professional footballer. He played for Iraklis in the Greek Alpha Ethniki and Pakhtakor in the Soviet Supreme League. He a ...

File:Papodopoulos.jpg, alt=Papadopoulos playing for Greece,

Lazaros Papadopoulos Lazaros Papadopoulos (Greek: Λάζαρος Παπαδόπουλος; born 3 June 1980) is a Greek former professional basketball player. He was listed at 7 ft (2.13 m) 265 lbs (120 kg), and he played the center position. During hi ...

File:Sofoklis Schortsanitis naional team (cropped).jpg, Sofoklis Schortsanitis File:Diamantidis.jpg, alt=Diamantidis playing for Greece, Dimitris Diamantidis File:Tom Hoff 2008.jpg,

Thomas Hoff Thomas John "Tom" Hoff (born June 9, 1973) is a retired American volleyball player. He was a middle blocker and has been with the U.S. national team from 1996 until 2009. He is a three-time Olympian in volleyball Olympics: 2000, 2004 and 2008 ...

File:Rolando Despaigne.png,

Rolando Jurquin Despaigne Rolando Jurquin Despaigne (born June 7, 1987) is a Cuban volleyball player, who plays as a wing-spiker. He was a member of the national squad of Cuba that claimed the bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sporti ...

File:Matej Černič 4.jpg,

Matej Cernic Matej is a given name that originates from the Slavic nations of Central and Eastern Europe. It is one of the most common male names in Slovakia and Slovenia, and is also common in Croatia. The name is originally derived from Matthias the Apostle. ...

File:Frantz Granvorka.jpg,

Frantz Granvorka Frantz Granvorka (born 10 March 1976) is a former France, French volleyball player, a member of France men's national volleyball team in 1996–2007, a participant of the Volleyball at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament, 2004 Olympic G ...

References

External links

;Official websites
Iraklis Gymnastics ClubIraklis Football Club

Iraklis Basketball ClubIraklis Volleyball ClubIraklis Track and fieldIraklis Swimming
;Press
Blue Arena
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iraklis Multi-sport clubs in Thessaloniki Athletics clubs in Greece Sport in Thessaloniki