Ormi Patras no match for European visitors
The ASE Ormi Patras women’s handball team, the current Greek champion, suffered three defeats in as many games in its Champions League qualifying group in the Peloponnesian port city over the weekend. Ormi lost 34-16 to Zvezda of Russia on Friday, 34-20 to Spain’s Elda Prestigio on Saturday and 38-17 to VOC Amsterdam of the Netherlands yesterday in Patras. The Greek champion proved to be no match for the visitors and seemed unprepared for the high standard of play in Europe’s top club competition. Furthermore, local fan turnout was particularly poor considering the importance of the event. In the men’s A1 league that started on Saturday, champion PAOK defeated rival AEK 22-20 in Athens behind closed doors, while Cup winner Doukas beat Vrilissia for the second time in one week, after the cup final at Vyronas, winning 30-20 at home. In the other matches it was: Aeropos Edessas 28 Panellinios 22, Kydon Chanion 31 Zafirakis Naoussas 29, Philippos Verias 33 HANTH Thessalonikis 26, and Diomidis Argous 32 Ionikos Neas Philadelphias 27.
