Maccabi Israel Honors Athletes and Miki Berkovich

Maccabi Israel hosted a celebratory and emotional evening at the Raanana Amphitheater, honoring athletes for their international and domestic achievements, as well as Maccabi Israel teams. Over a thousand athletes, management staff, and senior figures in Israeli sports attended the event.

A special tribute was paid to Miki Berkovich, with his sons Roi and Niv, and grandchildren present. Naor Galili, Director General of Maccabi Israel, spoke about Berkovich's contributions to Maccabi Tel Aviv and the Israeli national team, stating, "He always remains in the heart of all of us." Galili also conveyed the organization's prayers for Berkovich's health and praised him as a "true winner on and off the court."

Galili also reviewed Maccabi Israel's initiatives and achievements in 2026, including the "Maccabi of Israel 2032" project to identify future athletes, led by former Olympians Alex Shatilov, Nicole Zelikman, and Eitan Orbach. He presented "Maccabi Market," Israel's leading sports product platform, and collaborations with Vertex for technological innovation. Other initiatives included promoting corporate governance reform in sports associations with the Ministry of Culture and Sport and a technological safety project with "Look On Cam."

Olympic gymnast Artem Dolgopyat of Maccabi Tel Aviv received special recognition. The evening began with greetings from Yigal Carmy, Chairman of Maccabi Israel, and Miki Zohar, Minister of Culture and Sport. Zohar reflected on his four years of partnership with the sports world, highlighting unprecedented budgets and achievements, expressing pride in his role and stating he would miss the sports community.

The event, co-hosted by Liron Cohen and Or Shiniuk, featured video messages from Maccabi Tel Aviv star Roman Sorkin, Anastasia Gorbenko, Deni Avdija, and Manor Solomon. The evening concluded with a performance by Dalit Rechter, Anna Zak, and Subliminal.

Recognition was also given to the gymnastics team for Dolgopyat's achievements, alongside rhythmic gymnasts Daniela Munits, Arina Gvobodzkiy, Sofia Perezhin, and Taisia Sokolenco, and their coaches. The Israeli fencing team's European Championship successes, acrobatics teams, Haifa Flyers Club, Maccabi Acrogym, and world champion ninja athletes were also honored. Yitzhak Ashpiz and Ya-Eli Zarkovsky received accolades for their European Championship gold and bronze medals, respectively. Gashaw Ayele, Maru Tapri, and Iti Abuhay were recognized for their marathon achievements, and Itay Shani for his World Archery Championship bronze medal. Team awards included Maccabi Haifa Carmel in swimming, Maccabi Tel Aviv in rugby, Maccabi Ashdod in women's volleyball, Maccabi Petah Tikva in football, Sharon Handball teams, A.S. Ramat Hasharon and Herzliya in handball, Maccabi Ironi Ramat Gan in basketball, and Maccabi Tel Aviv in football. Numerous young athletes received awards, and acknowledgments were made to partners including the Ministry of Culture and Sport, Mythos, Energym, Forte Group, Physio Pro-Vertex, Safe Space, Look On Cam, Gaash Insurance Agency, Mashi Sports Products, and Ono Academic College.