Greek and European basketball legend Dimitrios Papanikolaou is in Cyprus ahead of the Cyprus Basketball Federation’s (CBF) annual awards ceremony, scheduled for Monday evening at the Royal Hall in Nicosia.

During his visit, he will meet with young students at the A’ Primary School of Engomi and appear on local television programmes.

Papanikolaou, in addition to his sports achievements, is the author of the book ‘11:11 – Everyone Unique, Everyone Equal’, which focuses on self-improvement, teamwork, and the acceptance of diversity. The book is available in Cyprus through the CBF’s online shop.

Born in Athens in 1977, Papanikolaou began his professional career at 15, playing for Sporting. He won the European Championship with Greece’s under-16 team and the World Championship at the under-19 level, before transferring to Olympiacos. He later played for Panathinaikos, AEK, and Panionios, earning six Greek championships, two Euroleague titles and taking part in two Olympic Games in 1996 and 2004.

After retiring, Papanikolaou has focused on raising awareness about autism and advocating for neurodiverse children. He founded the ‘UniquAll’ programme, promoting inclusive sports and education, with the support of other Greek basketball legends like Nikos Galis and Giannis Antetokounmpo.