Veteran Israeli Sports Journalist Launches Independent Platform

After more than two decades in Israeli sports media, prominent sports journalist and photographer Oren Aharoni is launching a new venture. Aharoni has initiated a crowdfunding campaign on the Headstart platform to establish an independent sports initiative focused on Olympic and Paralympic sports in Israel, expected to launch in the coming months.

Aharoni began his career over twenty years ago, serving as the editor for the Israeli Olympic Committee website from 2005 to 2008. He later joined Ynet as an Olympic sports reporter and photographer before moving to cover the field for the sports section of Israel Hayom.

Throughout his career, Aharoni has covered major global sporting events, including four Olympic Games (London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024), along with numerous World and European championships. His new platform aims to address a significant gap in local media coverage, where sports other than soccer and basketball are often marginalized.

The initiative will provide ongoing, in-depth coverage of a wide range of sports, including judo, gymnastics, swimming, athletics, tennis, sailing, archery, weightlifting, climbing, and Paralympic sports. The platform will feature regular reports, feature articles, interviews, personal stories, commentary, and unique photography.

The crowdfunding campaign seeks to fund the technological infrastructure, professional photography and production equipment, content creation, and coverage costs for events both in Israel and internationally. For Aharoni, this marks a significant transition from established media organizations to creating his own platform, prioritizing athletes who typically receive insufficient exposure.