Israel Competes in European Beach Tennis Championship in Greece

The 19th European Beach Tennis Championship is set to commence tomorrow, Wednesday, on the island of Crete, Greece. The continental competition will feature 18 nations and run through Sunday. The draw for the matches will take place later this evening.

Israel will be represented by two pairs of players. Veteran national team player Assaf Yaakov, 37, will partner with newcomer Natanel Kantarovich, 20, for whom this will be his first European championship. Yaakov returns to the continental championship after a nine-year absence, during which he reached a consolation final in an international tournament and two other finals in Israel.

The second Israeli pair brings significant experience. The team's tall player, Yam Adiv, 36, who stands at 1.92 meters, will team up with his partner Sagie Tal, 34. Together, this pair has won three international tournaments.

Beach tennis is a doubles sport played on sand with specialized rackets and low-compression tennis balls. The objective is to get the ball over the net without it touching the ground. The scoring system is similar to tennis, with a key difference: at 40-40, the next point decides the game.

The sport originated in the 1970s on Italian beaches and has seen significant development in Israel over the past 15 years, particularly in Netanya and Tel Aviv. The sport and the current European Championship are organized under the International Tennis Federation.

"We are very excited to once again wear the Israeli national team uniform at the European Championship," said national team player Assaf Yaakov. "We have a veteran and experienced squad, and we will do everything to represent the country with honor and go as far as possible."

Live broadcasts of the competition will be available on the Lyttos Beach channel on YouTube, and updates can be followed on the Beach Tennis Israel Instagram page.