Maccabi Israel Honors Athletes and Celebrates Achievements
Translated & summarized from Sport5 by baba
Maccabi Israel held a gala event in Ra'anana to honor athletes and celebrate their international and domestic achievements. The evening included a special tribute to Miki Berkovich and recognized numerous athletes across various sports, including gymnastics, fencing, and marathon running. CEO Naor Galili presented future initiatives, while Minister Miki Zohar reflected on his tenure. The event also celebrated team successes and concluded with performances.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Maccabi Israel honored athletes and celebrated achievements at a gala event in Ra'anana.
- A special tribute was paid to legendary athlete Miki Berkovich during the ceremony.
- Olympic gymnast Artem Dolgopyat and numerous other athletes received special recognition.
- Maccabi Israel CEO Naor Galili presented future projects, including talent identification programs.
- Minister of Culture and Sport Miki Zohar addressed the attendees, reflecting on his term.
- Team awards were presented to champions in swimming, rugby, volleyball, football, and more.
Maccabi Israel hosted a gala event at the Ra'anana Amphitheater, attended by over a thousand athletes, management teams, and sports officials, to celebrate international and domestic achievements. A significant portion of the evening was dedicated to a moving tribute to Miki Berkovich, with his sons and grandchildren present. Naor Galili, CEO of Maccabi Israel, praised Berkovich as a "true winner" who embodied Maccabi's values and expressed wishes for his health. Galili also outlined Maccabi Israel's 2026 initiatives, including the "Maccabi of Israel 2032" project to identify future talent, led by former Olympians Alex Shatilov, Nicole Zelikman, and Eitan Orbach. The organization also highlighted "Maccabi Market," a sports product platform, technological collaborations with Vertex, and efforts to promote corporate governance reform in sports associations with the Ministry of Culture and Sport, alongside a technological safety initiative with Look On Cam.
Olympic gymnast Artem Dolgopyat received special recognition. The event opened with greetings from Maccabi Israel Chairman Yigal Carmy and Minister of Culture and Sport Miki Zohar. Zohar reflected on his four years in office, emphasizing unprecedented budgets and achievements for Israeli sports, expressing pride in his role and stating he would miss the sports community. The evening was hosted by Liron Cohen and Or Shiniuk, featuring video messages from basketball star Roman Sorkin and athletes Anastasia Gorbenko, Deny Avdija, and Manor Solomon. The event concluded with a performance by Dorit Rechter, Anna Zak, and Subliminal.
Further accolades were given to the gymnastics team for Dolgopyat's achievements, alongside artistic gymnasts Daniela Munits and the team that won bronze at the European Championships. Israeli fencing achievements at European championships, acrobatics clubs, and ninja obstacle course world champions, who secured 11 medals, were also honored. Fencer Yitzhak Ashpiz was recognized for winning gold at the European Championships and a Grand Slam event, while Ya-Li Zarkovsky received a bronze at the Junior European Championships. Marathon runners Gashao Ayale, Maru Taffari, and Iti Abuhay, along with archer Itai Shani, were also honored for their European and World Championship successes.
Team awards included Maccabi Haifa Carmel for swimming, Maccabi Tel Aviv for rugby, Maccabi Ashdod for women's volleyball, Maccabi Petah Tikva for football, and various handball and basketball teams. Maccabi Tel Aviv was also recognized as the State Cup holder in football. Hundreds of young athletes received awards, and acknowledgments were extended to partners including the Ministry of Culture and Sport, Mythos production company, and various business sponsors.
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