The Organizing Committee is awarding this year’s “Nikos Samaras” prize to Evina Maltsi for her overall contribution to the field of sports.
Evina Maltsi, an exceptional athlete and person, has emerged as one of the greatest figures in Greek basketball history and one of the top Greek female players of all time.
Throughout her impressive career, she represented the Greek Women’s National Team for 20 years, holding the record for most points scored (3,215) and most appearances (214).
The awarding of Evina Maltsi with the Nikos Samaras Prize at the 33rd International Congress on Physical Education & Sport Science reflects not only her athletic achievements but also the significant role she has played in raising awareness and educating on an issue that concerns everyone—gender-based violence.
She was born on December 30, 1978, in Goumenissa, Kilkis, and her first involvement in basketball was with the local club AOK Goumenissa. In 1997, she transferred to Megas Alexandros Thessaloniki, and in 1998, she played for two seasons with MENT. From 2000 to 2004, she was a member of Panathinaikos before embarking on a 12-year career abroad.
Until 2016, she played for Celta Vigo, Zaragoza, Ros Casares (Spain), Bourges (France), Connecticut Sun (USA-WNBA), USK Prague (Czech Republic), Polkowice (Poland), Kayseri Kaski, Antakya Belediyespor, and Botas Spor (Turkey), winning two Czech League Championships (2009, 2011), two Czech Cups (2010, 2011), a Spanish League and Cup double (2008) with Ros Casares, and a French Cup (2007). In 2016, she returned to Greece, winning two domestic doubles (2017, 2018) with Olympiacos. In the 2018-2019 season, she played for ZTE KK in Hungary.
She represented the Greek Women’s National Team for 20 years, holding the all-time records for points (3,215) and appearances (214). She competed in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, where she was the second-highest scorer of the tournament. She participated in two FIBA World Championships (2010, 2018) and seven EuroBaskets. At the 2009 European Championship, where Greece finished fifth, she was the tournament’s top scorer and Most Valuable Player (MVP). In the 2010 FIBA Europe Player of the Year voting, which included experts and fans, she ranked sixth. She was also named to the EuroBasket 2017 All-Star Five, where Greece achieved its best-ever finish, securing fourth place.
Following her playing career, she continues as the Head Coach of the AntetokounBros Academy, the basketball academy founded by the Antetokounmpo brothers, aimed at helping young athletes and coaches from vulnerable social groups turn their dreams into reality.
She participates in seminars on “Guiding Female Athletes” to inspire them to pursue and love basketball. Additionally, she takes part in the GBV program, an initiative supported by the Hellenic Basketball Federation, which serves as an advocate for raising awareness and educating people on an issue that concerns everyone—gender-based violence.
In Greece, statistics show that this phenomenon predominantly affects women, but the reality is different. Gender-based violence also impacts men, boys, and children of all genders.
“We are clear advocates of non-violence, and through this program, we aim to raise awareness about what violence truly is—because even we may not fully recognize all its forms. It is a broad spectrum, one that we often lack sufficient information and understanding about.
We all need to be educated, from the top down, so that this knowledge reaches athletes as well. They should learn their rights, understand their boundaries, and know how to defend themselves whenever they feel threatened.“
The “Nikos Samaras” award has been established in honor of the unforgettable volleyball player who unexpectedly passed away in 2013. It is presented annually as part of the International Congress on Physical Education & Sports, recognizing the contributions of significant individuals to the field of sports.
Nikos Samaras, hailing from Orestiada and an alumnus of the Physical Education and Sports Science Department of the Democritus University of Thrace, remains one of the most prominent names in Greek volleyball and an enduring athletic symbol despite his premature departure.
Recipients of the “Nikos Samaras” award have included distinguished figures such as Olympic triple jump champion Pigi Devetzi, marathon runner Ioannis Tsianos, Paralympic swimmer Demosthenes Michalentzakis, the ambassador of “exercise is medicine,” Ada Stamatatou and Olympic rings champion Demosthenes Tabakos.
