The
Panionian and the Apollo of Smyrna
In
1890 was founded in Smyrna Orpheus, an association originally
active in the field of sport. However, its main contribution
was the general cultural development
of the Greek inhabitants of the city (music, fine arts). A
year later was founded another association, Apollo, which
soon (1893) developed its own sports department. The next
year the first sports games were held in Smyrna. They were
organized mainly by the English inhabitants of Smyrna and
Bournova, who had already created their own association, the
only purely sports association of the city. Athletes of the
Orpheus and Apollo participated in those games, which continued
to be held over the following years, whereas from 1904 they
were organized by the Apollo.
In 1894 many members of the sports department of the Orpheus
departed and created a sports association called Gymnasium.
This was the first Greek exclusively sports association of
Smyrna. In 1895 athletes from Smyrna participated in the Tinia,
while in 1896, a few months after the Olympic Games, the Gymnasium
organized the Panionian Games, an institution that constituted
over the following years one of the most important sports
organizations in Greek sport. In 1898 the Gymnasium was united
with the Orpheus (from which it had been created) and this
union gave birth to the Panionian Gymnastic Association of
Smyrna, which thenceforward organized the Panionian Games.
Over the following years new associations were created, such
as the Sports Union of Smyrna and the Pelops (1906). Still,
he
most active associations were the Panionian and the Apollo.
These two associations took part in the Panhellenic Games,
the former from 1904 and the latter from 1908, namely the
year when it became an exclusively sports association with
the name Gymnastic Club Apollo. Initially the Apollo claimed
from the Panionian Gymnastic Association the co-organization
of the Panionian Games, without success, whereas from 1904
it organized its own games, the Apollonia. Often, rivalry
between the two associations for supremacy in the sports activity
of Smyrna had been intense, bringing to mind the ups and downs
in the relation between the two major Athenian sports associations,
the Panhellenic and the Ethnikos. After the destruction of
Smyrna (1922) and the expulsion of the Greeks who lived in
the city, the Panionian and the Apollo pursued their activity
in Athens. The Panionian continued to organize the Panionian
Games for some more years. However, the games never regained
the prestige that they had in the early 20th century.
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