**Community Partner:** Special Olympics Hellas, Private School of Athens & PAO BC Academy

**Social Issue:** Intellectual disability and gender equality

**Ambassadors:** [Juancho Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/juancho-hernangomez/012712/) and [Alexandros Samodurov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alexandros-samodurov/011442/)

**Main Life Skills:** Teamwork, Respect, Confidence, Uniqueness, Communication, Sense of belonging, Diversity

**About the Program:**

Panathinaikos’s One Team Program, in collaboration with Special Olympics Hellas, the Private School of Athens, and the PAO BC Academy, is a transformative initiative aimed at promoting inclusion, gender equality, and personal development through unified basketball sessions. Now in its sixth year, the program brings together 25 athletes, both males and females aged 13–25, including those with intellectual disabilities and neurotypical individuals, for 16 weekly sessions. By fostering teamwork, respect, and a sense of belonging, participants will develop basketball skills like off-ball movement, motion offense, pick and roll, and set plays, while engaging in social skill-building activities that emphasize diversity, communication, and confidence, culminating in a diploma and a celebratory event.

Participants will also benefit from interactions with Panathinaikos’s One Team Ambassadors, Juancho Hernangomez and Alexandros Samodurov, as well as opportunities to attend team games. By carefully selecting participants and enthusiastic volunteers, the program aims to create a cohesive group that promotes inclusion, gender equality, and skill development, aligning with the shared values of integrity, sportsmanship, and community engagement championed by all partners.

Panathinaikos is committed to using its platform to raise awareness about intellectual disabilities and promoting inclusivity both on and off the court.