PAEEK

PAEEK (Greek: ΠΑΕΕΚ; short for Ποδοσφαιρική Αθλητική Ένωσις Επαρχίας Κερύνειας, Podosfairiki Athlitiki Enosis Eparxeias Kerynias, translated as "Football and Sport Union of Kyrenia District", literally "Footballing Sportive Union of the District of Kyrenia") is a Cypriot sports club founded in Kyrenia in 1953 by graduates of Kyrenia Gymnasium and represented the first force to be reckoned from the small city. It now plays in exile in Nicosia since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in July 1974. This union has football division competing in the Cypriot First Division. PAEEK used to have also a basketball division, but due to economic difficulties had to suspend it for some years up to date.
The PAEEK was a founding member of the Cyprus Basketball Federation in 1966 rising to fame in the early 1970s after its basketball division won the Cyprus top division basketball league in 3 consecutive years. In 1974 during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, were killed seven basketball players who played at the last championship. They were Giorgos Moustakas, Christos Karefilidis, Andreas Charalampous, Dinos and Louis Tsangaridis (siblings), Foivos Fieros and Giorgos Trigkis. After this tragedy the basketball club dissolved and refounded in 1989.
The PAEEK reached the Cyprus Basketball Cup final on 5 occasions, losing them all. In 1995 was APOEL's year, when they took the basketball double. As finalist of the Cup final, PAEEK automatically qualified to represent Cyprus in Europe in the Saporta Cup. They were knocked out by PAOK BC Salonika, which in turn went on to reach the final of the competition. The game with PAOK BC was very special for both teams, as they were all refugees and victims of the wars between Greece and Turkey, in 9th of September 1995 it was the fraternization ceremony.
PAEEK Kyrenia was reactivated in 2020 under adverse conditions. In the 2022/2023 season, he succeeded and won the championship and the B1 category cup. In the 2023/2024 season he competed in the Basket League (First Division) successfully, managing to stay in the division, but due to financial difficulties he chose to compete in the B1 division the following year. The head of the Basketball Division of PAEEK Kyrenia is the General Secretary of PAEEK Kyrenia, Mr. Christos Meleounis.
On November 11, 2023, PAEEK Kyrenia following the initiative of the General Secretary of Mr. Christou Meleounis created a Division of Runners, who ran for the first time in the 40th Marathon of Athens and continue to this day with their motto "Our destination is Kyrenia".
The football team has not matched the basketball team's success in terms of trophies. They have been a mainstay in the Cyprus Second Division. Paeek is considered to be the team with the most appearances in the Cyprus Second Division, with 41 in total. The club plays its home matches in Keryneia Epistrofi Stadium in Nicosia, Cyprus.
PAEEK has built a reputation for unearthing young talent and moving them on, most notably Alexandros Paschalakis of PAOK and the Greece national team, Giorgos Economides and Giorgos Papadopoulos.
During the 2020–21 season, PAEEK finished as champions of the second division and were promoted to the top division for the first time in club history.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
The colours of PAEEK shirt are symbolic, with the black symbolising the sadness from the Turkish invasion in 1974 and the white symbolises the hope that one day they will return to their hometown. When this happens the colours will change back to yellow and black as they were before the Turkish invasion.