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SUNEL Arena (stylised as SUNEL arena), also known as the Ano Liosia Olympic Hall (), is a multi-purpose
indoor arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...
located in Ano Liosia, in the western section of
Athens, Greece Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
. Originally built to host martial arts events during the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics, the arena has since been adapted for various uses. In 2021, the arena became the home for AEK B.C., for their games in the
Greek Basket League The Greek Basketball League (GBL), and also known as the Stoiximan Greek Basketball League (GBL) for sponsorship reasons, is the Greek basketball league system, first tier level professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by the ...
and the
Basketball Champions League The Basketball Champions League (BCL), also commonly known as the FIBA Champions League, is an annual professional basketball competition for European sports club, clubs, organised by FIBA. It is the European professional club basketball system ...
. The arena can accommodate 8,327 spectators for sports events with fixed tiered seating. This number rises to 9,327 when the retractable seating is fully extended, allowing for a versatile setup that suits sports events, concerts, and other large-scale gatherings. For AEK BC basketball games, the capacity is 9,025. Additionally, the arena can host up to 11,600 spectators for concerts. It ranks as the third-largest basketball arena in Greece, behind O.A.C.A. Olympic Indoor Hall and
Peace and Friendship Stadium The Peace and Friendship Stadium (), commonly known by its acronym SEF (Greek: ΣΕΦ), is a multi-purpose indoor arena that is located in Piraeus, on the coastal zone of Attica, Greece. The arena is mostly known for being the home to EuroLeague ...
.


History


Athens 2004 and the years after

Ano Liosia Olympic Hall was opened in 2004. The arena was used to host the
judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, 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 Encyc ...
and
wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...
events at the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics. After the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics, the venue became the site of various
television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
productions, including the Greek version of the reality show ''
So You Think You Can Dance ''So You Think You Can Dance'' is a franchise of reality television shows in which contestants compete in dance. The first series of the franchise, created by '' Idols'' producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, premiered in July 2005 and has ...
''. At one point in time, the arena was scheduled to be the home of the Hellenic Academy of Culture and Hellenic Digital Archive.


AEK B.C.

On May 13, 2019, the Greek Government decided to cede the venue to the General Secretariat of Sports, with the aim of subsequently ceding it to
AEK B.C. AEK Basketball Club ( ; Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ''Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupóleos'', "Athletic Union of Constantinople"), officially AEK Betsson BC for sponsorship reasons, and also known as AEK ...
. On June 22, 2020, it was announced that the arena's use until the year 2040, was granted to the professional basketball club
A.E.K. A.E.K. (; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople'') is a major Greek multi-sport club based in Nea Filadelfeia, Attica. The club is more commonly known in European competitions as A.E.K. Athens. Established ...
, of the
Greek Basket League The Greek Basketball League (GBL), and also known as the Stoiximan Greek Basketball League (GBL) for sponsorship reasons, is the Greek basketball league system, first tier level professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by the ...
, in order for the arena to host the home games of the club.


Basketball


AEK B.C.

A.E.K began using the arena for the 2021–22 season. The club made its unofficial debut at the facilities in a victorious (102-81) friendly match against the London Lions, and its official debut in the context of the Basket League in a victorious (81-69) match against Larisa. The strategic goal is to create a new cultural identity and brand name for the wider region, with the long-term aim being the redevelopment of the surrounding area of the Olympic Center. Serbian player
Stevan Jelovac Stevan Jelovac (; 8 July 19895 December 2021) was a Serbian professional basketball player. Professional career Jelovac started his senior career with Vizura. On 25 August 2009, he signed with Mega Vizura. On 7 April 2010, he left Mega and si ...
, who played for AEK Athens before his sudden death, was honored by the club with a gesture meant to stand the test of time. The gym of the arena was renamed "Stevan Jelovac Gymnasium" (
Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
: «ΓΥΜΝΑΣΤΗΡΙΟ STEVAN JELOVAC»). Jelovac's number 13 jersey was retired by the club during a ceremony on December 14, 2021.


AEK BC Academy Sports Center

AEK BC completed an air dome structure in the parking lot of Sunel Arena in November 2024. The facility, featuring two basketball courts and a locker room building, hosts academy activities and first-team training sessions.


2025 Basketball Champions League Final Four powered by SUNEL

SUNEL Arena hosted the 2025 Basketball Champions League Final Four, featuring AEK,
Galatasaray Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (, ''Galatasaray Sports Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Galatasaray and familiarly as Cimbom, is a Turkish sports club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul including basketball, wheelchair ...
, Unicaja, and
Tenerife Tenerife ( ; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands, an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. With a land area of and a population of 965,575 inhabitants as of A ...
. It marked Athens' third Final Four and the first at this venue, under a new sustainability-focused partnership betwee
SUNEL Group
,
FIBA The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French language, French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. FIBA defines the rules of basketball, specifies the Basketball equipment ...
and the BCL. In the semifinals, Unicaja Málaga defeated
AEK Athens A.E.K. (; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople'') is a major Greek multi-sport club based in Nea Filadelfeia, Attica. The club is more commonly known in European competitions as A.E.K. Athens. Establishe ...
71–65, while
Galatasaray Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (, ''Galatasaray Sports Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Galatasaray and familiarly as Cimbom, is a Turkish sports club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul including basketball, wheelchair ...
overcame La Laguna Tenerife 88–68. AEK claimed third place with a 77–73 comeback win over Tenerife. In the final, Unicaja Málaga secured their second straight title by beating Galatasaray 83–67, with Tyson Carter named MVP.


Greece men's national basketball team

The SUNEL Arena hosted two crucial FIBA World Cup 2023 qualifying matches for Greece's men's national basketball team. On February 25, 2022, Greece secured a thrilling 72-71 victory against
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. A year later, on February 24, 2023, Greece triumphed over
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
with a 97-92 win in overtime, led by stellar performances from Nikos Rogkavopoulos (28 points) and
Dimitris Moraitis Dimitrios Rafail Moraitis (alternate spelling: Dimitris Rafail Moraitis) (; born February 3, 1999) is a Greek professional basketball player for G.S. Iraklis Thessaloniki (Men's Basketball), Iraklis of the Greek Basketball League. He is a tall ...
(23 points). Despite trailing by 13 points, Greece rallied in the final period and overtime, but could not surpass the point difference from their previous loss to Serbia.


Elite League Final 4

The Ano Liosia Olympic Hall hosted the Elite League Final Four from May 17-19, 2024. Milonas claimed the championship after defeating
Panionios Panionios G.S.S. Football Club (Greek: ΠΑΕ Πανιώνιος Γ.Σ.Σ.), the ''Pan-Ionian Gymnastics Club of Smyrna'' (Πανιώνιος Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Σμύρνης, ''Panionios Gymnastikos Syllogos Smyrnis''), ...
87-79 in a thrilling final, securing promotion to the Basket League for the third time in their history. Iraklis beat Ermis Schimatariou 80-73 to face Panionios for the second promotion spot. Panionios claimed the second promotion spot with a 75-70 victory over Iraklis. The match was intense, with Panionios pulling ahead in the final moments thanks to key plays by Milintejevic, Gikas, and Kaklamanakis.


Naming rights

AEK BC and SUNEL Group, on September 18, 2024, announced a major partnership renaming their home arena to "SUNEL Arena". This historic collaboration marks the first time a Greek basketball team has sold the
naming rights Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising or memorialization where a corporation, person, or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, object, location, program, or event (most often sports venues), typical ...
to its home arena. The arena, a former Olympic facility, is set to become the first in Greece to achieve a zero carbon footprint as part of a long-term sustainability project.The five-year agreement, running through 2029, reflects AEK's environmental commitment, with an option to extend the deal for an additional 10 years until 2039
SUNEL
an energy group operating in 12 countries, specializes in
renewable energy Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable resource, renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human lifetime, human timescale. The most widely used renewable energy types are solar energy, wind pow ...
and energy efficiency solutions.


Accessibility and transportation

To access the SUNEL Arena fans have several transportation options. Those using
public transport Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whic ...
can take the
suburban railway Commuter rail or suburban rail is a passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Commuter rail systems can use locomotive-hauled tr ...
(
Proastiakos The Proastiakos (; "suburban") is Greece's commuter rail service, run by Hellenic Train, on rail infrastructure owned by the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) (lines) and GAIAOSE (buildings and Trains). These services connect a participating ...
) to Ano Liosia Station and then transfer to bus line 749 that stops outside the Olympic Hall. Additionally,
metro Metro may refer to: Geography * Metro City (Indonesia), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urban area with high ...
users can take bus line B12 from the Attiki Metro Station and disembark at the 23rd stop on Fylis Street (
Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
: 23η ΦΥΛΗΣ), which is a 15 minutes walk to the venue. For those driving, exit 5 on the
Attiki Odos Attiki Odos () (''Attica Road'') is a toll motorway system in Greece. The Attiki Odos motorways form the outer beltways of the Athens, Greater Athens metropolitan area. The total length of the motorways is . The Attiki Odos system currently cons ...
highway provides easy access to the arena, with parking available.


Other uses


Concerts

SUNEL Arena has quickly established itself as a premier destination for live music, with a seating capacity of 8,600 and an arena floor accommodating 3,000 standing or 1,200 seated attendees. On November 16, 2024, it hosted its first rap concert, headlined by Albanian superstar
Noizy Rigels Rajku (; born 27 September 1986) known professionally as Noizy, is an Albanian singer, rapper and music producer. He is one of the most famous and successful artists in the Albanian music industry and has gained a large following due to h ...
, joined by Greek trap icon
Light Light, visible light, or visible radiation is electromagnetic radiation that can be visual perception, perceived by the human eye. Visible light spans the visible spectrum and is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400– ...
and other Greek artists, drawing over 3,000 fans. A week later, on November 23, the arena transformed for its debut techno event, featuring Amelie Lens and KI/KI, supported by Greek DJs.


Tennis

In February 2024, Greece faced Romania in the
Davis Cup The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is organised by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and contested annually between teams from over 150 competing countries, making it the world's largest annual ...
World Group I playoffs at the Ano Liosia Olympic Hall, marking a critical match for the Greek team. Led by
Stefanos Tsitsipas Stefanos Tsitsipas (, ; born 12 August 1998) is a Greek professional tennis player. He has been ATP rankings, ranked as high as world No. 3 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), first achieved in August 2021 – mak ...
, the Greek team secured a decisive 3-0 victory. Tsitsipas won his singles match on the first day, while his brother,
Petros Tsitsipas Petros Tsitsipas (, ; born 27 July 2000) is a Greek professional tennis player who specialises in doubles. He has a career-high ATP doubles ranking of world No. 72, achieved on 10 June 2024 and a singles ranking of No. 727, achieved on 30 August ...
, teamed up with him for a thrilling doubles victory against Romania’s
Marius Copil Marius Copil (born 17 October 1990) is a Romanian professional tennis player, competing currently on the ATP Challenger Tour. His career-high singles ranking is No. 56 achieved on 28 January 2019. Copil is known for his Fastest recorded tennis s ...
and
Victor Vlad Cornea Victor Vlad Cornea (born 24 September 1993) is a Romanian tennis player who specializes in doubles. He reached his highest ATP doubles ranking of No. 64 on 19 February 2024. He has won 14 ATP Challenger Tour doubles titles. He has six Davis Cu ...
. The Tsitsipas brothers overcame an initial set loss to win the match 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4, sealing Greece’s spot in the World Group I for only the second time in its history.


Handball

The final of the
Greek Men's Handball Cup The Greek Handball Cup is the second more important competition of Greek handball. The Cup is organised by the Hellenic Handball Federation (Greek: ΟΧΕ). The first Cup took place in 1982–83 season. The most successful team of the competition i ...
took place on March 19, 2014, at the Ano Liosia Olympic Hall. It was AEK's first match in this venue, where they defeated Diomidis Argous 18–16 to win their third Greek Cup. Since then, AEK's handball team has played several games for the
Greek Men's Handball Championship The Greek Men's Handball Championship, or Handball Premier, is the most important competition of Greek handball. The competition which is organised by Hellenic Handball Federation (Greek: ΟΧΕ) started in the 1979–80 season. The most successfu ...
and the
EHF European Cup The EHF European Cup is an annual men's handball club competition organised by the European Handball Federation (EHF). It is the third-tier competition of European club handball, after the EHF Champions League and the EHF European League. Founde ...
at the SUNEL Arena. SUNEL Arena hosted the 2025
Greek Men's Handball Cup The Greek Handball Cup is the second more important competition of Greek handball. The Cup is organised by the Hellenic Handball Federation (Greek: ΟΧΕ). The first Cup took place in 1982–83 season. The most successful team of the competition i ...
Final 4, featuring the semifinals Zafeirakis Naousa – AEK (24–40) and
Vrilissia Vrilissia () is a suburban town and a municipality of the North Athens regional unit, in the Attica region. It is located in the Athens basin, at the southwestern foot of the Penteli Mountain. At the 2021 census, the municipality had 32,417 res ...
Diomidis Argous (31–22). In the final, AEK delivered a dominant 43–21 win over
Vrilissia Vrilissia () is a suburban town and a municipality of the North Athens regional unit, in the Attica region. It is located in the Athens basin, at the southwestern foot of the Penteli Mountain. At the 2021 census, the municipality had 32,417 res ...
, securing the club’s fifth Greek Men’s Handball Cup title.


Ice Hockey

From May 19 to June 6, 2010 the arena hosted the Greek Ice Hockey Championship, where Iptamenoi Pagodromoi Athinai claimed the men’s title.


Karate

The Ano Liosia Olympic Hall has hosted the WKF Karate 1 Series A twice, in January 2023 and 2024. These events attracted over 1,100 athletes from more than 70 countries each year. The tournaments marked significant milestones for Greek Karate.


Gallery

File:Ano Lioussia Olympic Hall.jpg, Sunel Arena during the Athens 2004 Olympics


See also

* List of indoor arenas in Greece * AEK B.C.#Arenas * Basketball Champions League Final Four #Arenas * 2004 Summer Olympics #Venues


References


External links


Αυτοψία στο "παλάτι" των Άνω Λιοσίων που θέλει να κάνει σπίτι της η ΚΑΕ ΑΕΚ

Video of Ano Liosia Olympic Hall
{{A.E.K. (sports club) 2004 establishments in Greece Sports venues completed in 2004 Basketball venues in Greece Fyli Handball venues in Greece Indoor arenas in Greece Olympic judo venues Olympic wrestling venues Sports venues in Athens Venues of the 2004 Summer Olympics Volleyball venues in Greece de:Wettkampforte der Olympischen Sommerspiele 2004#Ano Liossia Olympic Hall