Shoham Gat Returns to Bnei Herzliya on Short-Term Contract

Israeli basketball club Bnei Herzliya announced Friday the signing of guard Shoham Gat, 24, on a temporary contract. Gat's return is a response to an injury sustained by fellow guard Amit Menachem, who is expected to miss about a month and will therefore miss the start of the season. Gat, who stands at 1.89 meters, is a product of the youth system at Emek Hefer, where he won a youth league championship under coach Yaho Orland. He previously played for Bnei Herzliya in the 2023-24 season before moving to Elitzur Netanya, helping them achieve promotion to the Premier League. In his two seasons in the National League with Hapoel Modi'in (2021-2023), Gat averaged 7.4 points and 5.2 assists per game in his first year, and 10.7 points and 7.1 assists in his second. Last season with Hapoel Haifa, he averaged 8.5 points and 5.4 assists. "I am happy to welcome Shoham back to our ranks," said coach Orland, who previously coached Gat. "He is a player I coached in youth and the National League, and I am excited to have him with us for the upcoming period and to give him a platform in the Premier League." Gat expressed his happiness at returning, stating, "I am happy to close a circle, to return to train under Yaho Orland, who influenced me greatly, and to return to Bnei Herzliya, a club I connected with and enjoyed playing for. I will do my best to help the team succeed."