Vizantinos Athlitikos Omilos ("Byzantine Athletic Club") or VAO is a multi-sport club in the city of
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 ...
. It was founded in 1926. The current seat of the club is the suburb of Thessaloniki
Sykies
Sykies ( el, Συκιές) or Sykeai (Συκεαί) is a suburb of the Thessaloniki Urban Area and was a former municipality in the regional unit of Thessaloniki, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Neap ...
.
Nowadays it maintains departments of
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
, and others. Its colours are
orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
*Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum
* ...
and
black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
and its emblem is a double-headed eagle.
History
VAO was founded in 1926. The club took part in the first
Greek Basketball Championship in 1928. VAO achieved to play in the final but it defeated by
Iraklis. The last presence of VAO in the highest level of Greek basketball was the season 1996-97. The club finished in the last place having only three wins. Nevertheless, the club had in its roster the famous NBA player
Jeff Malone
Jeffrey Nigel Malone (born June 28, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball at Mississippi State, and is mostly known for his time with the Washington Bullets (1983–1990) of the National Basketb ...
, and it achieved to win
Olympiacos
Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Πειραιώς, Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number ...
which had won the
Triple Crown
Triple Crown may refer to:
Sports Horse racing
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)
** Triple Crown Trophy
** Triple Crown Productions
* Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
* Trip ...
that season.
VAO had also successful handball team. The team won two
Greek cups, in 1983 and 1984. In 2009 the club suspended its operation and merged with
Iraklis.
Honours
;Basketball team
*
Greek Basketball Championship
**''Finalist (1)'': 1928
;Handball team
*
Greek Handball Cup
**Winner (2): 1983, 1984
References
External links
official sitewrestling department
Association football clubs established in 1926
1926 establishments in Greece
Multi-sport clubs in Thessaloniki
{{Greece-sport-stub