Games In Greece Research Articles

Caught in the war against gambling: A critical analysis of law history and policy making in video games in Greece

The advent of the video game industry brought about new cultural policies in both the national and international levels. In particular, incentives and flexible funding programmes for the production of video games have become a key pillar of support for small, domestic, but also global game companies. In Greece, video game policy history has followed the developments and legal entanglements of gambling regulation, with serious national and international consequences. From the Royal Decree of 1971 to Law 3037/2002 that banned all games in public and private places until the most recent Law 4487/2017, which established a cash rebate scheme for audio-visual productions, this article aims to analyse Greece’s video game policy-making as captured through scattered laws, media articles and personal testimonies.

The impact of stereotypes on sport participation in Azerbaijan

This article aims to explore the role and significance of the stereotypes of sport in Azerbaijan. For many years, there have been stereotypes about sport in all society. Some countries have overcome these challenges through gradual education and awareness. However, some prejudices still remain, especially in developing countries, that's why the topic is always actual. For example, no women or slaves were allowed to compete in the first Olympic Games in Greece (6). There are numerous other examples. Given the number of factors involved, it is difficult to assign blame for the establishment of stereotypes on individual communities. However, it is the responsibility of societies to be aware of stereotypes and actively avoid transferring them to the future generations. As attitudes within societies have evolved, so has the wider understanding of the negative effects of stereotypes, including within the sphere of sport. The rules and ethics within sport have undoubtedly changed and developed over time. However, stereotypes continue to be presented throughout sport, and represent an ongoing challenge to the power of sport as a force for good in a wider society. As a result, the purpose of this article is to show how stereotypes exert a negative influence on sport and to suggest that only effective education and enlightenment can improve the situation.

Pojava olimpijske misli u Srbiji u građanskim gimnastičkim i drugim sportskim društvima i klubovima

The idea of revival of the Olympic Games appeared much before its realization, but creation of the possibilities to reintroduce the Games was closely related to development of modern sport.The first mentioning and proposals originated from the works of the Humanists in 15thand 16thcentury, and in the thirties of the 19thcentury some practical attempts were made for their revival. The aim of the paper was to determine the time when the first ideas on Olympism appeared in Serbia in civil gymnastic and other sporting societies and clubs.Historical method was used in the paper. For a long period Serbia was cherishing and developing traditional forms of competitions and tournaments but organized forms of physical exercises of citizens appeared only in the mid-19th century when the first private schools for physical exercises were established in many towns of the Principality of Serbia. Therefore, these private schools and the civil gymnastic societies were places where modern sport and the Olympic ideal were gladly accepted and further developed.Thus, it is understandable why, at the time of realization of the idea on revival of Ancient Olympic Games, those societies and clubs used the expression: Olympic competitions for their sporting events, besides they already used names: popular festivals or chivalry competitive plays. In the mid-19th century the Olympic idea took roots also in the Principality and later in the Kingdom of Serbia. Namely, before the revival of the Olympic Games in Athens and before the term "Olympic" became more significant in reporting from sporting events, the competitions in Serbia had been announced as "Olympic festivities" although they were not directly linked to the aforementioned Games in Greece.

The relationship between stadium factors on spectators’ satisfaction in Greek Soccer Super League

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between stadium factors (sportscape) on spectators’ satisfaction in Greek Soccer Super League. 255 spectators attending two Greek Super League football matches volunteered to participate in this study. Measurements included the use of two questionnaires: a demographic form and the sportscape instrument (Wakefield et al., 1996) to measure perceptions of the physical facility. Correlation and Regression analysis were used to identify the relationship and predictive variables of spectators’ satisfaction. Results indicated from the five variables of sportscape model, stadium security and cleanliness were the most predictive variables of spectators’ satisfaction. In conclusion, security during soccer game and cleanliness of the stadium have strong positive effects in spectators satisfaction and intention not to attend soccer games in Greece in the future.

Historical dictionary of wrestling

Wrestling as a legitimate contest is one of the oldest, if not the oldest form of sport. There are cave drawings in France that depict memorable matches, which are over 15,000 years old. Egyptian and Babylonian reliefs depict wrestling bouts where wrestlers are using most of the holds known to the modern-day sport. Wrestling was also a big part of ancient Greek literature and legend and historical records of sport indicate that wrestling under various sets of rules was contested at the Ancient Olympic Games in Greece. Today's modern wrestling is a form of sports entertainment in which highly skilled athletes enact wrestling matches in such a way so that their opponents do not get hurt and the matches' endings are scripted (although the audience is not aware of the script). This Historical Dictionary of Wrestling covers the history of Wrestling through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 600 cross-referenced entries on important amateur and professional wrestling, wrestling personalities, announcers, managers and promoters from all eras, and wrestling organizations. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the sport of Wrestling.

Olympian Dreams

Olympian Dreams

Concept of the Intermediate Olympic Games of 1906: Continuity with the Past Olympics

Recently, some scholars confirm that the IOC officially approved the Intermediate Olympics of 1906 and made a decision to hold them. It has also been pointed out that the Intermediate Olympic Games contributed to restoring confidence in the IOC following the failures of the 1900 and 1904 Games, which were held as a part of the World Fair. Many IOC members approved the Intermediate Games despite the opposition by Coubertin, and this fact suggests that the Games had a concept with which most of the IOC members agreed with other than Greek nationalism. This research seeks to identify and clarify the concept of holding the Intermediate Olympic Games. The following conclusions were reached. Many of the members of the IOC in the initial stage supported holding the Olympic Games in Greece in the intermediate years. This was because it emphasized the continuity with the ancient Olympics as a historical presence. The Panathenaic Stadium was a symbol of the continuity with the ancient games. Also, many of the IOC members understood the relationship with the Greek Olympia Games held in the nineteenth century. Respect for Crown Prince Constantine, who supported the Olympia Games and devotedly worked for the 1896 Olympic Games, was also a reason for their approval. Because of the concept of continuity with the past Olympics, the 1901 IOC session unanimously approved holding the Intermediate Olympic Games in Greece, leading to the 1906 Olympic Games.

A review of attendance and non-attendance studies at sporting events

Despite its rapid growth, in the last few years the Greek Professional Basketball League has been concerned with the significant decrease in the general interest surrounding the game of basketball, which has resulted in a fewer number of fans attending the league’s games. The Basketball Spectator Non-Attendance Scale is an instrument that facilitates the identification of factors associated with non-attendance at professional basketball games in Greece. The scale was successfully tested for validity and reliability with a convenience sample of 270 students at the University of Athens. The design of the instrument, its practical applications and results from our initial findings are reported and explained. The paper also provides a review of attendance and non-attendance studies at sporting events, which are discussed in the context of current theoretical perspectives. Tentative recommendations are made for reaching this rather sizable non-attendance market.

Essay: Manufacturing categories—the case of disabled athletes

My introduction to working with disabled athletes came when I went to a pre-games seminar in Athens, Greece, to prepare for the 2004 Paralympics and had to share a room with Pieter Badenhorst—a double-arm amputee. Badenhorst had lost his arms after being electrocuted at the age of 6 while lifting a heavy electrical cable after a storm at his parent’s farm. His left amputation is at shoulder level, the other at the elbow with a 6 cm stump. Since this encounter was my first with a disabled person, I was a little apprehensive about sharing a room with Pieter. Would I have to assist him in his daily activities? Should I treat him differently?