Hapoel Center Names Athletes and Teams of the Century

The Hapoel Center, a major Israeli sports organization, celebrated its 100th anniversary by honoring its athletes, coaches, and teams of the century. The annual Champions' Evening event recognized individuals and groups who have brought international pride to Israel over the past century.

Among the honorees were artistic gymnast Linoy Ashram, who won Israel's first Olympic gold medal in her sport at the Tokyo Games, and her coach Ayelet Zussman. Taekwondo athlete Asaf Yasur, a Paralympic champion in Tokyo and Paris and a world champion, along with his coach Yechiam Sharabi, were also recognized. Sailing legend Gal Fridman, who secured Israel's first Olympic gold medal in Athens and later coached Tom Reuveni to gold in Paris 2024, was honored as both an athlete and coach, alongside his coach Gur Steinberg. Moran Samuel, a world champion and Paralympic medalist in rowing, completed the list of individual athletes and coaches.

In the team category, the awards went to Hapoel Tel Aviv football club for winning the Asian Club Championship in 1967, Hapoel Jerusalem basketball club for their 2004 FIBA EuroCup victory, and Hapoel Tel Aviv basketball club for their 2024 EuroCup win.

Gal Fridman expressed gratitude to the Hapoel Center for its continuous support of Israeli sports, stating it has been instrumental in putting Israeli sports on the map. Linoy Ashram called her selection an immense honor and hoped it would inspire more young girls in Israel to pursue their athletic dreams. Prosper Ben Hamo, Chairman of the Hapoel Center, highlighted the organization's growth from its founding in 1926 by the Histadrut labor federation to its current 350 branches, emphasizing the honorees' role in establishing Israel on the global sports stage. Kineret Tzadok, CEO of the Hapoel Center, described the selection process as challenging, underscoring the dedication and perseverance of the athletes and coaches who have grown within the Hapoel framework.