AEL dominate another thrilling basketball season in Cyprus

IN a season high on drama and entertainment DTL EKA AEL stole the show by capturing the championship title for the fifth consecutive year, while Keravnos Cyprus College successfully defended the national cup crown winning it for the third consecutive time.

The 2006/07 season also featured impressive European runs by DTL EKA AEL, Keravnos Cyprus College and Pizza Express Apollon competing in the FIBA EuroCup and FIBA EuroCup Challenge respectively.

The FIBA EuroCup All-Star Game was held in Cyprus for the third year in a row; and although it was not a great success it was still a very significant event for the development of local basketball.

But there were some notable low points. The season finale was marred by disruptive Dentalcon APOEL fans who caused a serious fracas in the league playoff final series. As punishment Dentalcon APOEL will have to play their first two home games in the following season outside Nicosia.

AEL five championship titles in a row is the longest streak in the history of Cyprus basketball with the second longest streak held by PAEEK Keryneia with three consecutive titles between 1970 and 1972.

Even with several local teams playing basketball at a high level throughout the season the Limassol powerhouse proved, yet again, that if a team is run professionally success follows. However, in this season it was harder to achieve this ultimate goal than in the previous years as DTL EKA AEL won the title after five long and exhaustive games of the playoff final series against Dentalcon APOEL.

The reigning champions of Cyprus also had a great European run, reaching the quarter-final round of the FIBA EuroCup where they were stopped by the Ukrainian side SC Azovmash Mariupol.

Keravnos Cyprus College succeeded in defending the national cup title after winning by a sole point in a thrilling final match against DTL EKA AEL; however, the Strovolos side had no power to overcome the reigning champions in the championship playoff semifinals losing 3-1 in the best of five series.

For the second time in the club’s history Keravnos Cyprus College managed to win the national cup three years in a row. The Strovolos side initially won it between 1997 and 1999. However, the record number of consecutive cup trophies with four straight wins is held by four different teams and the Strovolos side will have the opportunity to join them in the following season. These four teams are: Pezoporikos, a now defunct team known today as AEK Larnaca, won it between 1969 and 1972; Frederick Achilleas Kaimakliou won it between 1974 and 1977; DTL EKA AEL won the trophy in the years 1980 to 1983 and finally APOEL Nicosia starting from 1993 and going to 1996.

Keravnos Cyprus College and Pizza Express Apollon competed in the FIBA EuroCup Challenge this season with huge success, but the Russian side CSK-VVS Samara put an end to Cypriot dreams since they defeated Pizza Express Apollon in the semifinals and Keravnos Cyprus College in the finals of the competition.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.