P.A.O.K. H.C.

PAOK Handball Club is the handball section of PAOK, the major multi-sports club based in Thessaloniki, Greece. PAOK has both men's and women's team. So far, men's team has won 3 Greek Championships and 3 Greek Cups and women's team has won 6 Greek Championships and 6 Greek Cups. Despite its relatively short history, it is considered amongst the most successful departments of the club.

PAOK
Full namePAOK Handball Club
Nickname(s)
  • Double-Headed Eagle of the North
  • White-Blacks
Founded1999 (1999)
ArenaMikra Indoor Arena III
Capacity1,380
PresidentGreece Athanasios Katsaris
Head coachGreece Panagiotis Gousios
LeagueHandball Premier
2021–223th
Club colours   
Website
Official site
Active departments of P.A.O.K.
Football
(Men's)		 Football B
(Men's)		 Football
(Women's)
Basketball
(Men's)		 Basketball
(Women's)		 Volleyball
(Men's)
Volleyball
(Women's)		 Water Polo
(Men's)		 Water Polo (Women's)
Handball
(Men's)		 Handball (Women's) Boxing
Taekwondo Cycling Athletics
Ice hockey Chess Wrestling
Weightlifting Swimming Judo

History
PAOK handball logo

PAOK Handball Club was founded in 1999 after it merged with another club from Thessaloniki, Triton. Stelios Seikeridis, former club's coach, has connected his name with the whole club's history.

PAOK promoted to A1 Ethniki for first time at the season 2000–01. Three years later, they relegated to A2 Ethniki, but they promoted back to the top-tier level the next season.

As the years passed, the team became stronger and stronger and they won two consecutive Greek Handball Championships in 2009 and 2010. At the end of the 2008–09 season PAOK defeated Panellinios in the last game of the play-offs and in 2009–10 PAOK defeated Doukas, also in the last game.

At the season 2009–10, PAOK became the second Greek team after Filippos Veria, who reach the groups of EHF Champions League.

In 2011, even though PAOK had the advantage and needed only a draw in the last game in Thessaloniki, they lost the championship to AEK.

In 2012 PAOK won the Greek Cup by beating AEK with 25–24 score in Patras. The next year, they lost with 27–23 score by AEK at the Cup final in Kerkyra.

In 2015 PAOK beats AEK again with 27–29 score at P.A.O.K. Sports Arena in Thessaloniki and won the Greek Cup. PAOK also won the Greek Championship the same year making it a double for the first time. They faced Diomidis at the play-off finals.

In 2017 PAOK beats Panellinios with 25–23 score in Kozani winning the Greek Cup for the third time.

Kits

Recent seasons
Season Division Place Notes
2000–01A1 Ethniki9th
2001–02A1 Ethniki7th
2002–03A1 Ethniki7th
2003–04A1 Ethniki11thRelegated to A2
2004–05A2 Ethniki2ndPromoted to A1
2005–06A1 Ethniki5th
2006–07A1 Ethniki5th
2007–08A1 Ethniki4th
2008–09A1 Ethniki1st
2009–10A1 Ethniki1st
2010–11A1 Ethniki2nd
2011–12A1 Ethniki3rdGreek Cup Winner
2012–13A1 Ethniki4thGreek Cup Finalist
2013–14A1 Ethniki5th
2014–15A1 Ethniki1stGreek Cup Winner
2015–16Handball Premier3rd
2016–17Handball Premier5thGreek Cup Winner
2017–18Handball Premier3rd
2018–19Handball Premier4th
2019–20Handball Premier5th
2020–21Handball Premier2ndGreek Cup Finalist
2021–22Handball Premier3rd
2022–23Handball Premier3rd

Current squad

Players
Squad for the 2022–23 season[1]

Administration and technical staff
Staff
President Greece Athanasios Katsaris
Section Registrar Handball Greece Dimitris Chasekidis
Coach Greece Panagiotis Gousios
Assistant coach Greece Vasilis Skandalis

Honours
  • Greek Championship:
    • Winners (3): 2009, 2010, 2015
    • Runner-up (2): 2011, 2021
  • Greek Cup:
    • Winners (3): 2012, 2015, 2017
    • Runner-up (2): 2013, 2021
  • Double
    • Winners (1): 2015

Greek Cup Finals
Finals Winner Finalist Score
2012 PAOK AEK 25–24
2013 AEK PAOK 27–23
2015 PAOK AEK 29–27
2017 PAOK Panellinios 25–23
2021 AEK PAOK 24–22
Total 3 2

European record
Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate Advance
2006–07 EHF Challenge Cup R2 North Macedonia RK Vardar 29–34 29–43 58–77
2007–08 EHF Challenge Cup R2 Serbia RK Kolubara 28–31 3rd place
England Great Dane HC London 32–21
Ukraine Burevestnik Lugansk 28–32
2008–09 EHF Challenge Cup R3 Russia Sungul Snezhinsk 23–23 25–25 48–48
1/8 Romania Știința Bacău 28–31 29–31 57–62
2009–10 EHF Champions League QR Cyprus SPE Strovolos 32–29 1st place
Ukraine ZTR Zaporizhia 30–30
Group Stage Russia Chekhovskiye Medvedi 25–37 22–46 6th place
France Montpellier HB 23–34 20–46
Hungary SC Pick Szeged 27–26 24–27
Spain BM Valladolid 27–37 19–38
Romania HCM Constanța 26–30 23–34
2010–11 EHF Cup R2 Austria A1 Bregenz 23–31 24–27 47–58
2011–12 EHF Cup R2 Hungary Tatabánya KC 23–27 25–29 48–56
2012–13 EHF Challenge Cup 1/16 Norway IL Runar 31–32 26–36 57–68
2013–14 EHF Challenge Cup R3 Belarus HC Victoria Regia MINSK 26–27 21–28 47–55
2017–18 EHF Challenge Cup R2 Malta Aloysians Von Taine 39–15 34–17 73–32
R3 Turkey Göztepe SK 29–28 26–35 55–63
2021–22 EHF European Cup R3 Latvia TENAX Dobele 29–24 28–25 57–49
1/8 Romania CS Minaur Baia Mare 28–27 21–32 49–59
2022–23 EHF European Cup R2 Croatia Sesvete 21–27 24–29 45–56

European Distinctions

PAOK has been competing since 2006–2007 in European competitions, and has taken part in all EHF competitions up to the 2013–2014 season. PAOK returned to the European competition by taking part in the 2017–18 EHF Challenge Cup. In 2009–2010 season the team reached at the group phase of the EHF Champions League, which is its biggest achievement up to date.[2]

Women's Department
Anna Giuruki as player of PAOK in 2009

PAOK's women handball club is also competing in the first Greek division.
On season 2012–13 they beat Ormi Patras in playoff finals with 2–1 series and won the Greek Women's Handball Championship. In the 2013–14 season, PAOK won its first cup, beating Anagennisi Arta in the final with score 22–20.[3]

Recent seasons
Season Division Place Notes
2010–11A1 Ethniki4th
2011–12A1 Ethniki4th
2012–13A1 Ethniki1st
2013–14A1 Ethniki3rdGreek Cup Winners
2014–15A1 Ethniki3rdGreek Cup Finalists
2015–16A1 Ethniki2ndGreek Cup Winners
2016–17A1 Ethniki2nd
2017–18A1 Ethniki2ndGreek Cup Finalists
2018–19A1 Ethniki1stGreek Cup Winners
2019–20A1 Ethniki1stGreek Cup Winners
2020–21A1 Ethniki1stGreek Cup Winners
2021–22A1 Ethniki1stGreek Cup Winners
2022–23A1 Ethniki1stGreek Cup Finalists

Current squad
Number Player Position date of birth Height
30Russia Renata KayumovaGoalkeeper19911,85
01Greece Emmanouela TsiknakiGoalkeeper20001,80
88Greece Vasia GatziouRight wing19971,75
07Greece Anastasia PanagiotidouLeft wing19981,73
03Greece Dimitra MpatzarakoudiRight wing19931,60
06Greece Maria MentesidouLeft wing19971,68
04Greece Katerina KoukmisiPlaymaker20001,68
18Greece Avramina SevdiliPlay Maker20021,60
02Greece Maria HatziparasidouPlay Maker19951,68
24Greece Rafaela KaraharisiLeft inter19961,74
09North Macedonia Andrea BeleskaRight inter19931,75
13Greece Evgenia SamoladaRight inter19991,70
28North Macedonia Dajana JovanovskaLeft inter19921,80
17Serbia Jovana StojanovicPivot19941,80
22North Macedonia Marija NikolicPivot19931,85

Administration and technical staff
Staff
President Greece Athanasios Katsaris
Curator Greece Dimitris Chasekidis
Coach Greece Dimitrios Pelekidis
Assistant coach Greece Georgios Vakalis

Honours
  • Greek Championship
    • Winners (6): 2013, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
    • Runner-up (3): 2016, 2017, 2018
  • Greek Cup
    • Winners (6): 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
    • Runner-up (2): 2015, 2018, 2023
  • Double
    • Winners (4): 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

Greek Cup Finals
Finals Winner Finalist Score
2014 PAOK Anagennisi Artas 22–20
2015 OF Neas Ionias PAOK 24–19
2016 PAOK OF Neas Ionias 32–31
2018 OF Neas Ionias PAOK 21–20
2019 PAOK Anagennisi Artas 33–23
2020 PAOK OF Neas Ionias 27–19
2021 PAOK Veria 2017 26–24
2022 PAOK OF Neas Ionias 21–20
2023 OF Neas Ionias PAOK 29–23
Total 6 3

Women's European record
Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate Advance
2011–12 EHF Challenge Cup R3 Ukraine HC Dnepryanka Kherson 22-28 17-27 39–55
2012–13 EHF Challenge Cup R3 Poland KSS Kielce 18-31 23-25 41–56
2013–14 EHF Cup R2 Bulgaria HSC Veliko Tarnovo 28-20 22-24 50–44
R3 Romania U Jolidon Cluj 28-32 25-39 53–71
2017–18 EHF Challenge Cup R3 Bosnia and Herzegovina OZRK Jedinstvo Tuzla 24-17 30-31 54–48
1/8 Croatia Lokomotiva Zagreb 17-37 20-33 37-70
2019–20 EHF Cup R1 Turkey Muratpaşa BSK 32-25 24-24 56-49
R2 Serbia ŽORK Jagodina 25-23 19-26 44-49
2020–21 EHF European Cup R3 Malta Kavallieri 36-8 46-16 82-24
1/8 Croatia ŽRK Bjelovar 28-21 30-24 58-45
1/4 Spain CBF Málaga 23-22 21-30 44-52
2021–22 EHF European Cup R2 Iceland IBV Vestmannaeyjar 29-24 22-29 51-53
2022–23 EHF European Cup R2 North Macedonia ŽRK Metalurg 26-17 31-20 57-37
R3 Poland KPR Kobierzyce 23-28 23-26 46-54

[4]

Arenas
P.A.O.K. Sports Arena

The home ground which PAOK use for the regular season games of the domestic league is Mikra Indoor Arena III, which holds 1,380 seats. In previous years, the team had also used Mikra Indoor Arena II, which holds 650 seats, Neapoli Indoor Hall, which holds 800 seats, and Evosmos Sports Hall, which holds 2,000 seats. Additionally, PAOK often use PAOK Sports Arena, which holds 8,500 seats, for European competitions and for the play-offs of the domestic league.

References
  1. PAOK HC roster
  2. "Club Info AC PAOK". eurohandball.com. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  3. "Κυπελλούχος Ελλάδος ο ΠΑΟΚ". handball.org.gr. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  4. "Club Info AC PAOK Women". eurohandball.com. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
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