SOTERIS KEFALAS,
THE ATHLETE, VOLLEYBALL PLAYER, FOOTBALL PLAYER
WITH GREAT OFFER IN SPORTS
Sotiris Kefalas from an incredibly young age stood out for his talent. Since the age of 12 he has been systematically involved in football in the teenage teams of the Paralimni Youth Association during the Plouskal era from where he took the first and basic lessons in football.
Also, in his student years he was a track &field athlete participating with his school team. His best performance on the track was in the 100-meter race at the Cyprus Student Athletics Games, where he took fourth place with a performance of 11 seconds. In addition, he was a member of the Evagoras Famagusta Gymnastics Association and took part in meetings and the Panhellenic Games of Students and Adolescents.
His involvement in sport had extended beyond his athletic status and led him to contribute to the creation of the Volleyball team of the Paralimni Youth Association. This commitment and active contribution led the team to the First Division, and he was a player of the team in 1973-75.
In 1976 he ended up in Anorthosis Famagusta, where he competed for three consecutive years with a special success and scoring 20 goals. A football player with enough qualifications, Kefalas won the trust of his coach, who did not hesitate to give him the blue-and-white and glorified jersey with the No. 7. But also, respecting this jersey, and feeling the burden of his responsibilities tried and gave his beloved team any service he could.
Player with inexhaustible stamina, high speed with comfortable dribbling and a strong straight shot with strength and accuracy Famagusta's blue-and-white winged extremity offered enough to his team and was always a danger to rival goalkeepers.
Then he left to study in America at the end of 1978. In America he joins the power of The New York Pancyprian of which he becomes a key executive and one of the top scorers in the three years he competed. There he had the honor to compete alongside big names of Greek football, such as Domazos and Papaioannou, and many other names from whom he learned many secrets of the ball. In the first year of his presence in Pancyprian, New York, he emerged from the team's board as the best young footballer and second scorer with 11 goals.
Afterwards, left New York and went on a scholarship in 1981 to Denver University, Colorado. There playing football on the university team, he becomes the top scorer for three consecutive years. In a single season he scored 47 goals which is a university record, while he came out with this performance and second scorer across America among university football teams. At the university it gained a great reputation and the local newspapers devoted praise to the talent and performance. Kefalas received many suggestions to compete in many professional teams in America but turned them down to continue his studies. For his services, he received the honorary distinction for sport, given by the University to athletes with special performances. Specifically, on 25-10-2007, he was awarded the highest distinction the Hall of Fame Athlete of the University, the best football player of all time.
Finishing his studies in 1984, he returned to Cyprus and ended his successful football career playing football in the Paralimni Youth League until 1988. He was a rare football talent who sprung up and developed during his young age. Fast, strong, craftsman with a strong shot, but above all the weakness of the coach Mr. Plouskal.
From 1990 until today he is involved in the sport of "Squash" and is the founder of the Famagusta Squash Club. Since 1995, he has been a member of the Cyprus Federation of Squash and since 2010 he has been Vice-President of the Federation.