Giannis Antetokounmpo’s selection as Greece’s flag bearer marks a historic moment so Neos Kosmos reached out to young Greek Australians to gauge their response, and unsurprisingly, everyone loves Giannis.
The 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games are close, so decisions of who are the country flag bearers is coming soon. The Olympic Games Opening Ceremony will be watched worldwide, and the privilege of athletes selected as flag bearers is not lost to those competing.
Athens-born Milwaukee Bucks MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo – The Greek Freak – will lead the procession and carry the flag for Greece in the Opening Ceremony processions. Accompanying him will be Antigoni Drisbioti, considered as the best Greek walker of all time. This is an historic moment for Greece. It says much about the modern Greece, symbolised by the sporting-excellence and diversity. Hellas will be led into the Paris Olympics by a Greek of African descent, and a woman.
Neos Kosmos asked some young Greek Australian readers about their feelings regarding Antetokounmpo as flag bearer, and whom they will support when Greece plays Australia in Group A on August 8 at the Olympics. The responses were overwhelmingly positive, filled with pride. When asked about their allegiance between Australia and Greece, some expressed conflicted emotions but all ultimately felt happy to support either team, seeing it as a win-win situation.
Antetokounmpo who was born in Athens to Nigerian parents has overcome many challenges growing up in Greece as the child of African immigrants. His profound love of Greece and his faith is well documented. Antetokounmpo and his brother Alexandros were baptised on October 28, 2012, at Agios Meletios Church in Athens on “OXI Day”. Antetokounmpo is an inspiration to millions, and particularly Hellenes in Greece and the Diaspora.
His fellow Greek Olympics team-member, champion race walker, Drisbioti is a regular to Australia. It is in Australia where she does much of her training. Drisbioti’s 2024 season began in Australia where the top Greek racewalker competed in a meet in Canberra.
