SoIK Hellas facts for kids
| Full name | Sim- och idrottsklubben Hellas |
|---|---|
| Sport | bowling, track and field athletics, handball, swimming, orienteering, tennis, water polo soccer, table tennis, fencing, gymnastics, cross-country skiing, diving, ski orienteering, squash (earlier) |
| Founded | 14 May 1899 |
| Team history | Pastorns gossar (1899–1912) |
| Based in | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Arena | Erikdsalshallen |
SoIK Hellas is a sports club located in Stockholm, Sweden. It was started on May 14, 1899. A priest named Ernst Klefbeck from Katarina Parish helped create the club.
It was first called Pastorns gossar. In 1912, the name changed to SoIK Hellas. Ernst Klefbeck also suggested this new name.
Today, SoIK Hellas offers many sports. These include bowling, track and field athletics, handball, and swimming. They also have orienteering, tennis, and water polo. In the past, the club also had soccer, table tennis, fencing, and gymnastics. Other past sports were cross-country skiing, diving, ski orienteering, and squash.
The men's water polo team has won several Swedish championship titles. In 2009, the club decided to become an alliance club. This change started in 2010.
Handball
The SoIK Hellas handball team has won the Swedish Championships seven times. Their victories were in 1936, 1937, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1977.
Early Successes
The team played in the first season of Allsvenskan. This was Sweden's top handball division. Until 1952, the Swedish Championship was a knockout tournament. Hellas was known as "cup specialists" during this time.
In 1936, Hellas won their first Swedish Championship. They beat Flottans IF Karlskrona in the final game. The next year, they won again. They defended their title against Redbergslids IK.
Hellas was relegated from the top league in 1939. But they quickly returned after just one season. In 1943, they reached their highest league finish so far, coming in second place.
They often reached the semifinals of the Swedish Championship. This happened even when they were not in the top division. In 1949, they reached the final but lost to IFK Lidingö.
Championship Era
Hellas returned to the top division in 1961. In 1967, they finished second in the league. From 1968, the top four teams played in a playoff for the championship.
In 1968, Hellas won the league but lost the playoff final. The next year, they won their third Swedish title. They beat Ystads IF in the final.
They won the title again in 1970 against HK Drott. In 1971 and 1972, Hellas won "the double." This means they won both the league and the championship. They beat Västra Frölunda IF and Drott in those finals.
In 1973, Hellas reached the semifinals of the European Cup. They were eliminated by a Yugoslav club. Hellas lost the Swedish final in both 1973 and 1974.
In 1977, Hellas won "the double" again. They defeated IK Heim in the final. After this, their performance declined. They were relegated in 1981. They returned to the top league in 1985 but were relegated again two years later. They have not returned to the top division since.
Orienteering
Hellas had early success in orienteering. They won the first Tiomila competition in 1945. Tiomila is a famous relay race.
In 1966, the team had a big lead in Tiomila. Jonas Ernfridsson was ahead by 15 minutes. Harald Tirén made the lead even bigger. However, the next runner lost too much time. The club did not win a medal that year.
See also
In Spanish: SoIK Hellas para niños
