Israeli Handball League Kicks Off With Wins for Top Teams

The 2026/27 Israeli handball league season commenced on Friday with the traditional Winner Judges Cup tournament. This season features 13 teams, divided into four groups. In Group A, Hapoel Rishon LeZion defeated M.K. Beer Sheva 32-26, while M.K. Holon secured a 32-24 victory over Hapoel Arad. The win sets up a decisive match between Hapoel Rishon LeZion and M.K. Holon to determine advancement to the semifinals.

In Group B, AS Ramat HaSharon, the reigning league and cup champion, convincingly beat Bnei Herzliya 39-29. Maccabi Tel Aviv also started their campaign with a win, defeating Hapoel Ashdod 34-29 in Group C. Meanwhile, Maccabi Kiryat Motzkin achieved a dramatic 32-31 victory over Ironi Rehovot in Group D, with the winning goal scored in the final second.

Hapoel Rishon LeZion, last season's cup holder, overcame M.K. Beer Sheva, who remained in the top league due to the "Roaring Lion" war. Despite a competitive first half, Rishon LeZion pulled away in the second, led by strong performances from Neria Ovdat and Yonatan Pelach, who each scored seven goals. Beer Sheva's Yiftach Dahan was the top scorer for his team with nine goals.

AS Ramat HaSharon's victory over Bnei Herzliya was marked by a strong offensive performance, with Milan Pavlovic scoring 10 goals. Maccabi Tel Aviv, under new head coach Avitar Givon, also showed early strength against Hapoel Ashdod, with Shnir Natzya leading their scoring with eight goals. The most thrilling finish came in Group D, where Maccabi Kiryat Motzkin secured their return to the top league with a last-second win, highlighted by Filip Ljubic's 14 goals.