Sports
The great social phenomenon of our time, the king of sports—football—could not be absent from our village. What makes the Chloraka club, Akritas, stand out beyond its football achievements and the talents it has nurtured over time, is its non-partisan character. It achieved this at a time when political clashes, not only in our village but across the island, were very intense.
Chloraka’s early football enthusiasts, such as Georgios Kapodistrias, Panagiotis Pasios, Christofis Andreou, Dimitris Spyrou, Andreas I. Azinas, Rikkos Laouris, Frixos Nikolaou, Agathoklis Georgiou, Andreas Koutis, Kleitos Panayiotou, and many others, frequently played football matches among themselves on the fields of Melanos.
Gradually, every neighborhood in Chloraka had its own field, which the children made sure to clear of stones and weeds, establishing it as their home ground. In the 1960s, there were four neighborhood football teams: Nea Olympiada, Thyella, Astrapi, and Keravnos. These teams played matches against each other every weekend. At the same time, there were also two politically affiliated teams in the village: one for the left-wing, called “Aster,” and one for the right-wing, which at various times was called “Digenis Akritas,” “Apollon,” or “Ethnikon Kentron.” These teams played matches against each other and against other teams from nearby villages. Every match between the two political teams was a significant event for the entire village.
In the early 1970s, a pan-agricultural championship was held in Paphos. Kostas K. Pentaras, the late Andreas E. Ch. Kleovoulou, and Efthyvoulos Christodoulou decided to establish a non-partisan club and register it with the P.O.A.S.P. (Paphos Rural Football Association). Moreover, that year, the government was providing a grant of around £200 to every newly established club, with the aim of promoting healthy youth activities. These three progressive villagers approached the late Kyriakos Leonidas to help bring their idea to life. The name of the club was Kostas Pentaras’ idea. Initially, he thought of naming it “Digenis Akritas,” but knowing the name “Digenis” would likely spark reactions, he suggested “Akritas,” which was accepted by all.
In 1971, the football club “Akritas Chlorakas” was founded, immediately embraced with love by the entire community. The first coach was Efthyvoulos Christodoulou, and during the 1971-72 and 1972-73 seasons, he led the team to win the double. The first Board of Directors of Akritas consisted of:
- Kyriakos Leonidas – President
- Andreas Stamatis – Vice President
- Matthaios Kannavias – Treasurer
- Andreas Ch. Kleovoulou – Secretary
- Efstathios Christodoulou – Team Manager
- Andreas Nikodimou – Team Manager
The two consecutive successful years created a sense of euphoria within the club, and the team officials decided to apply for membership in the Cyprus Football Association (CFA). To join the CFA, a team needed to have a stadium that met specific requirements, including a seating capacity of at least 500. Additionally, every team in the first division had to approve Akritas’ request for entry into the CFA.
A committee was formed to build the stadium, and it decided to take a loan from the Chlorakas Cooperative Bank. Guarantors for the loan were Georgios Leonidas (Mavros), Andreas Ch. Kleovoulou, Kyriakos Leonidas, Andreas Efthyvoulou, and Ioannis Liasidis. The people of Chlorakas, the village authorities, and especially the Cooperative Bank provided significant assistance.
The project was awarded to Efstathios Christodoulou, who made the best offer (£2,150). In 1973, the stadium was completed, and everything was perfect during the inspection by the CFA. The next step was to secure the positive vote of all first-division clubs. During the same period, Th.O.I. Lakatamias was also attempting to join the CFA. Andreas Ch. Kleovoulou, Kyriakos Leonidas, and Efthyvoulos Christodoulou visited football clubs across Cyprus, pleading with the officials to vote in favor of the Chlorakas club. Former CFA general director Andreas Stylianou, then a staff supervisor, also contributed significantly to this effort. Ultimately, their efforts paid off, and in 1973, Akritas became a member of the CFA.
Every new team entering the CFA was placed in the third division, which then had 12 teams. The new coach was Kyriakos Papantoniou, who also played as a defender. Akritas’ first match was held at the G.S.E. stadium against Anagennisi Deryneia on October 27, 1973, and Akritas won. In the 1974-75 season, a special mixed second and third division championship was held because many teams had disbanded due to the war. That season, Akritas finished first, alongside A.P.O.P., but was not crowned champion because A.P.O.P. had a better goal difference.
A milestone year for Akritas was the 1976-77 season when the team won the third division championship. The coach was Kyriakos Papantoniou, and the team captain was Georgios Geros, who was perhaps Akritas’ greatest scorer of all time. That year, Akritas’ attack scored 66 goals, with Geros contributing 48 of them.
Akritas played in the second division from 1977 until 1999, when it was relegated to the third division. The stadium was upgraded in 1994 with a grass field and new stands with a capacity of around 1,500 seats.
The 2000-2009 decade: Akritas remained in the third division for four seasons. In the 2002-03 season, it finished second and was promoted to the second division. In the 2003-04 season, the club finished fifth in the second division for the third time. In the 2004-05 season, it finished 14th and was relegated. In the 2005-06 third division championship, Akritas finished third and returned to the second division. However, it was relegated again in the 2007-08 season, only to return in 2008-09 by winning the third division championship for the second time in its history. Additionally, Akritas participated in the newly established third and fourth division cup, reaching the semi-finals.
The 2010-2017 decade: Akritas remained in the second division for four more seasons. In the 2012-13 season, it finished 13th and was relegated to the third division. In the 2013-14 season, it participated for the second time in the third and fourth division cup but was again eliminated in the semi-finals. The following season, Akritas reached the final and won the trophy by defeating PAEK 1-0. In the 2015-16 season, it won the third division championship and was promoted to the second division. However, in the 2016-17 season, it was relegated to the third division.
The Akritas sports club has been a community institution for nearly thirty years, offering significant contributions to the youth of Chlorakas. Today, in addition to the first and second teams, the club operates a football academy for young children. It is estimated that Akritas engages around 150 young people. Beyond its football objectives, the club aims to provide healthy activities for youth, keeping them away from harmful and destructive distractions, while also cultivating a spirit of teamwork, discipline, and solidarity.
The coach of Akritas, Efthyvoulos Christodoulou, receives the sportsmanship award from Giorgos Filippides (April 13, 1983).
Akritas training session (1973).
