Hapoel's Centennial Celebrated at Israel's Largest Amateur Sports Event
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
The 20th Hapoel Center Sportiada, celebrating Hapoel's 100th anniversary, has begun in Eilat with over 10,000 participants. The event features sports competitions, social activities, and cultural performances for employees from across Israel. Notably, teams from the Nova Tribe Community Association, comprising survivors of the October 7th attacks and bereaved families, are participating for the first time, using sports for rehabilitation and resilience.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Over 10,000 participants are attending the 2026 Hapoel Center Sportiada in Eilat, marking Hapoel's 100th anniversary.
- The event includes sports competitions, social gatherings, and cultural activities for employees from 250 organizations.
- Teams from the Nova Tribe Community Association, composed of attack survivors and bereaved families, are participating for the first time.
- The Sportiada aims to foster rehabilitation, community resilience, and a return to routine through sports.
- The event underscores Hapoel's century-long mission of connecting people and fostering belonging through sports.
The 2026 Hapoel Center Sportiada, Israel's largest amateur sports event, has commenced in Eilat, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the Hapoel sports organization. Over 10,000 participants from approximately 250 companies, workplaces, and organizations nationwide are taking part in the five-day event, which features sports competitions, social gatherings, performances, and cultural activities. Participants are staying in about 40 hotels across the city and will compete in hundreds of games across various sports.
The opening ceremony, held the previous evening, featured a performance by Sarrit Haddad, officially launching the centennial celebrations. This year's Sportiada includes a significant new element: the participation of basketball and soccer teams from the Nova Tribe Community Association. These teams are composed of survivors of the southern music festival attacks and bereaved families, established as part of the association's efforts to promote rehabilitation, personal and community resilience, and a return to routine through sports.
The basketball team is named in memory of the late Roi Shilo, integrating sports with commemoration. The soccer team emerged from the community's connection to the game and the desire for a stable, supportive framework. Their participation adds a profound layer to the centennial event, underscoring Hapoel's century-long mission of using sports to connect people, foster belonging, and offer hope even in difficult times.
Prosper Ben Hamou, Chairman of Hapoel Center, highlighted the Sportiada as a unique sports and social endeavor in Israel, bringing together thousands of workers from diverse backgrounds to compete based on shared values. He emphasized that the participation of the Nova Tribe teams powerfully demonstrates sports' role as a source of strength, hope, and human connection. Kineret Tzadok, CEO of Hapoel Center, described the event as the largest and most moving gathering of amateur sports in Israel, showcasing the power of sports to unite people and build social resilience.
Paz Amar, Sports Department Manager for the Nova Tribe Community Association, expressed the significance of their teams' first-time participation, noting it as a milestone in their journey of recovery and forward movement. He stated that for the association, participation transcends competition, representing a victory in their collective path.
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