SASCOC & GREEK EMBASSY EVENT (olive tree planting_30.6.2025)

SASCOC and Greek Embassy Strengthen Olympic Partnership Through Historic Olive Tree Planting Ceremony

The President of South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Mr.Barry Hendricks, and H.E. the Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic in South Africa, Mr. G.Aravositas, participated on June 30th in Johannesburg, in a historic olive tree planting ceremony, symbolising the deep Olympic and cultural bonds between the two nations. 

The olive tree, traditionally associated with Olympic victory and peace in Ancient Greece, was planted to commemorate the enduring partnership between Greece -the birthplace of the Olympic Games- and South Africa’s Olympic movement.
“This ceremony represents far more than a diplomatic gesture”, said SASCOC’s  President. “The olive tree connects us directly to the Olympic heritage that Greece gifted to the world…”

The planted olive tree will serve as a permanent reminder of the Olympic ideas that connect Greece and South Africa: excellence in sport, respect for competitors, and the pursuit of human potential through peaceful competition.

The ceremony formalised future collaboration between SASCOC and Greek Olympic Institutions, including:
-Knowledge sharing in sports development programs
-Cultural exchange initiatives celebrating Olympic heritage
- Joint support for athletes pursuing Olympic dreams
- Preservation and promotion of Olympic values in both nations.

The Consul General of Greece in Johannesburg, Orestis Kafopoulos, First Counsellor at the Embassy of Greece in Pretoria, Mr. Stephanos Ioannides (DHM), were also present during the event.

gallery_title
4 Images