Awka Ashta, the captain of Hapoel Jerusalem, has officially signed with Georgian club Dinamo Batumi and will join it after his contract ends. Hapoel Jerusalem said goodbye to him on Friday, after 266 appearances in the club’s red and black colors.
In its farewell statement, the club called Ashta “the player most associated with modern Hapoel Jerusalem,” noting that he was discovered 15 years ago in its neighborhood league project, rose through the revamped youth academy, joined the senior side about a decade ago and wore the captain’s armband for the past three seasons. The club also said he was the team’s top scorer last season from a defensive midfield role.
Ashta said the move is meant to give him a new experience and push himself further, adding that he would return “straight home.” He recalled starting at age 11 on the Mivtach pitch in the city’s neighborhood league, dreaming of leading Hapoel Jerusalem in the Premier League and scoring in derbies. He described his bond with the red supporters as special and said, “Hapoel Jerusalem is home, heart and soul.”
The move means that next season, for the first time in his career, Ashta will play for a club other than Hapoel Jerusalem, with Dinamo Batumi his first foreign team.