| 22.03.2007
Although DTL EKA Lemesos have been playing at their recently completed Nicos Solomonides arena for 18 months, club President Michael Loizides could not resist the opportunity to use the EuroCup All Star Game to re-christen the club's new home.
The ceremony involved a blessing by a local parish priest as well as the unveiling of a signpost marking all the major arenas in Europe where Lemesos have played.
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It is just 2,700km from Lemesos to FIBA Europe in Munich
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| “This was the official opening of arena, completed one year and a half ago but we wanted to have a good opportunity to inaugurate it and to combine with the All Star Game so we can have all our guests here,” Loizides told fibaeurope.com.
“It also coincided with the best European campaign in our history, so the timing was good overall.”
Lemesos made it all the way to the EuroCup Quarter-Finals before getting ousted by Ukrainian side Azovmash Mariupol in the three-game play-off series, the best ever performance of a Cypriot club in any European club competition.
“We are deeply religious in this county and have a deep Greek orthodox tradition. Every major occasion is accompanied with a blessing and today was no exception,” said Loizides of the decision to have the arena blessed.
And then of course there is the signpost marking the distances to some of Europe’s top basketball arenas.
“This idea came about as a tribute to our international campaigns and trips,” explained Loizides.
“It is hard to believe for many Cypriots that we have been to the Madrid arena, to Virtus Bologna’s arena. We went there with an objective to win, not to lose. So we wanted to honour this international dimension to our club.” | 
