Nations' Lifesaving Cup 2025

NATIONS’ LIFESAVING CUP 2025:
Saving lives in the motherland of the ancient games

Greece 20-21.12.2025. Τhe Greek Lifesaving Sports Association (GLSA) hosted the Nations’ Lifesaving Cup (NLC2025) to enhance drowning prevention through the sport that saves lives in the motherland of the ancient games.

OVERVIEW

Drowning is a silent pandemic and an underestimated killer worldwide. The World Health Organization recommends several ways to prevent this public health problem. These include training, swimming teaching, prevention barriers, etc. One such activity that gains progressively considerable attention in many countries, is lifesaving sport.

Τhe “home” of lifesaving sport in Greece, GLSA, decided to organize a memorable event that would contribute to this noble humanitarian goal. The NLC 2025, invited athletes from Europe and Asia that participated in an event with 5 attributes; physical (training, competition), educational (museum visit, symposium), cultural (entertainment, sightseeing), social (networking), and humanitarian (public health, lifesaving). History, sports, prevention, rescue and camaraderie were aligned through two activities; an international symposium and a competition.

OPENING WITH GREEK WORDS

According to UNESCO, for the past 40.0000 years, Greek is the oldest alive language. The GLSA President, Dr Stathis Avramidis, declared the competition open using Greek words of the English vocabulary: “Phile athlete, welcome to this multiethnic agon at the motherland of the Olympic ideals. Archaic Hellas echoes stories of democracy, drama and athleticism. Our classical philosophy is the cradle of a plethora of axioms that enthus us. One of them is that arete is achieved through symmetry, orthology, and harmony. Synagonize with dynamism and metron to celebrate the ethos of sport. Lifesaving is not just a sport; it is the symbol of our philanthropy for prophylaxing life! I declare open the Nations Lifesaving Cup 2025 that will eulogize the idols of our epoch; The water heroes!”

SYMPOSIUM

The teams visited the beautiful Athens Olympic Museum for two reasons. First, they saw the magnificence history of the Authentic and Modern Olympic Games. Second, they attended a lifesaving symposium. Dr Karel Logghe discussed about “current lifeguard issues”. Dr Stathis Avramidis, explained “why lifesaving should become Olympic sport”. Efraim Chalkias explained the “optimum techniques on the 100m Manikin Tow with Fins event”. Sebastian Raj, explained “the role of the ILS and forthcoming international lifesaving championships”. A vivid discussion about lifeguarding and lifesaving sport followed.

After, the teams had free time for dinner and a tour to Athens. They had the opportunity to optionally visit popular areas like Plaka Square, Monastiraki, Emperor Andrian’s Arch, the Hellenic Parliament and the National Gardens.

COMPETITION

The teams met at the Alimos Municipal Swimming Pool. Initially, they received advices from Eleftheria Avramidou, Sport Psychologist of Hellas Team. Then, they practiced and competed on selected individual and relay pool lifesaving events (100m Manikin Tow with Fins, 4x10m Line Throw, 4x50m Rescue Medley Relay, 4x25m Manikin Carry Relay, 4x50m Obstacle Swim Relay, 4x50m Pool Lifesaver Relay).

Trophies and winning medals were presented. The medals were presented to the teams by Mr. Pantelis Avramidis, a 3-time gold World and European Master lifesaving medalist, Mrs. Josephine Avramidou, a national lifesaving and a Balkan Masters Track and Field medalist and Mr. Panagiotis Vlantis, a distinguished GLSA Member.

VOLUNTEERS

The volunteers that supported the event, are GLSA members and students of the School of Sport Science and Physical Education at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

TEAMS

The podium teams were composed by the following individuals:

1st PLACE: Team Belgium: Manager: Dr Karel Logghe. Coach: Juan -Carlos Logghe. Athletes: Stef Abbeel, Mathias De Vlamynck, Nathan Reubens, Billy Weis, Marine Harze, Seidji Logghe, Gaelle Reinquin, Ophelia Everaert. The Co-President of the Belgium Lifesaving Federation, Dr Karel Logghe, said: “We are proud to visit the beautiful country that gave birth to the Olympic Games and participate in this event. Greece is a perfect destination for tourism and lifesaving sport recreation.”

2nd PLACE: Team Hellas: Team Manager-Coach: Dr Stathis Avramidis. Coach: Efraim Chalkias. Sport Psychologist: Eleftheria Avramidou. Athletes: Kalypso Economidou, Yelena Deligiannis, Eleftheria Kasagianni, Elena Anifanti, Aggeliki Mylonakou, Christoforos Deligiannis, Dimitrios Voutsaras, Andreas Vretzos, Ioannis Poupounakis, Ioannis Broutzos. The GLSA President and host, Dr Stathis Avramidis, said: “From small seeds big trees grow. We sailed in rough seas but we sacrifices we managed to organize this event. Lifesaving sport in Greece is still alive!”

3rd PLACE: Mixed Team India-Greece: Manager: Sebastian Raaj. Athletes: Sebastian Raaj, Iqvel Maan, Lefteris Metaxas, Konstantinos Spontidakis, Manolis Kouelis, George Valaris, Christos Mamalis. The President of the Indian Lifesaving Federation, Mr. Sebastian Raj, said: “We are overwhelmed with feelings of camaraderie and unity. We learned and had fun.”

AFTERMATH

In 1995, South Africa won the World Rugby Cup. Thanks to that, Nelson Mandela achieved the impossible. He created the rainbow nation, uniting white and black people. When he was asked about the meaning of this triumph, he said: "The most important in every good is not the act itself, but the hope that because it happened once, it may happen again!"

The NLC 2025 was initially announced and later cancelled, due to a fraud “sponsor” from India that promised everything and fulfilled nothing. Inspired by the “father” of world lifesaving, Dr Harald Vervaecke who says that “we must do good anyway and that we should expect that the high trees will always be vulnerable to the wind!”, the GLSA decided to host the event despite the financial, emotional and physical cost. The NLC 2025, marks one such milestone for the sport that saves lives. This is because it gives the “breath of life” to lifesaving in Greece and creates an international momentum for the future.

ABOUT THE HOST

The NLC2025 was orchestrated by the GLSA, a member-organization of the International Life Saving Federation, the International Life Saving Federation of Europe, the Mediterranean Lifesaving Confederation, and an ally of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, the Hellenic Olympians Association, and the Hellenic Olympic Winners Association. Photos: GLSA.

MORE

Photos

Videos (shortly)

Team Belgium: NLC 2025: What an experience!

Team India: Unity Beyond Borders at the Nations’ Lifesaving Cup 2025

Στάθης Αβραμίδης: Ο θρίαμβος του NLC 2025 επιβεβαίωσε την «Ρωμιοσύνη» του Ρίτσου!

Ιωάννης Μπρούτζος: Τέτοιες διοργανώσεις θυμίζουν ότι ο αθλητισμός ενώνει και εκπαιδεύει

Γιέλενα Δεληγιάννη: Το NLC2025 με γέμισε έμπνευση και πάθος!

Χριστόφορος Δεληγιάννης: NLC2025: Ξεχωριστοί αγώνες. Υπέροχες αναμνήσεις.

Ελευθερία Κασαγιάννη: Το NLC2025 μας υπενθύμισε γιατί αγαπάμε αυτό το άθλημα!

Καλυψώ Οικονομίδου: NLC2025: Ξεχωριστοί αγώνες. Υπέροχες αναμνήσεις.

Αντρέας Βρέτζος: Στο NLC νιώσαμε έναν σπάνιο αλληλοσεβασμό!