
Youth, joy and community spirit were the overwhelming themes of a fantastic event that I had the privilege to attend on Saturday last when the Kastella Football Club played host to the youth team of the famous Panathenaikos club. The community of Kastella came together to celebrate their wonderful football team and to honour those young people who have been tragically taken from us by the scourge of road accidents. The event was sponsored by R.S.I. Panos Mylonas, the highly acclaimed and effective Greek road safety agency established by Kastella’s Vassiliki Mylonas in honour of her son Panos who lost his life in a road accident.
Everything that is good about village life, youth and community was on show at this exciting night of football with Kastella’s team showing skill, courage and determination in taking on their famous opponents. The game was played in very sporting spirit with Kastella defending very well against sustained Panathenaikos pressure and taking the challenge to them with quick breakouts from defense. This strategy paid off with Kastella taking the lead through a wonderful goal just before half time. The second half saw more Panathenaikos pressure and eventually class told against the tiring local team with the visitors scoring three times to finish the game with a 3:1 victory. In truth the real victors were youth and sport and everything for which life should be celebrated and safeguarded.
After the game presentations were made to the competing teams, those who made the special event possible and to Mrs Mylonas for her work for road safety. The Mayor of Kastella, Mr Nikos Matrakas and also President of the Kastella football team, saluted those who worked for this special evening and spoke of the pride of the community in the work of Vassiliki. In responding Mrs Mylonas spoke of her joy in seeing the youth of the village celebrate life at such a wonderful event and pledged to continue to work to safeguard our youth on the roads. The summer Road Safety campaign as developed by an RSI Panos Mylonas and SKAI initiative “All together we can make it possible” was broadcast on SKAI group radio channels throughout the evening.
The community in Kastella, their brave and skillful football team, the Panathenaikos team and RSI Panos Mylonas can be justly proud of this wonderful event, celebrating life, youth and community.
As reported by Dr. John Lawlor, CEO at Scouting Ireland