Nova Tribe Survivors Participate in Israel's Largest Sports Festival
Translated & summarized from Channel 13 by baba
Israel's annual "Sportiada" sports festival began Tuesday in Eilat with over 10,000 participants. For the first time, basketball and soccer teams from the Nova Tribe community, composed of survivors and families of victims from the Nova music festival massacre, are competing. The initiative aims to provide support and foster resilience through sports, marking a significant step in their recovery and commemoration efforts.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Over 10,000 participants are attending the Hapoel Center's annual "Sportiada" sports festival in Eilat.
- Teams from the Nova Tribe community, including massacre survivors, are participating for the first time.
- The Nova Tribe teams aim to provide support and foster resilience through sports.
- The basketball team is named after Roi Shalev, a massacre survivor who died by suicide.
- The festival features hundreds of competitions, performances, and large-scale activities.
- The event is in its centenary year for the Hapoel organization.
The Hapoel Center's "Sportiada" sports festival commenced Tuesday with over 10,000 participants from approximately 250 companies and organizations. The event, held in Eilat, features hundreds of competitions, performances, and large-scale activities.
For the first time, basketball and soccer teams from the Nova Tribe community, comprised of survivors and families of victims from the Nova music festival massacre, are participating. The community's aim is to provide rehabilitation, social, and emotional support to those affected, fostering personal and community resilience through sports.
The basketball team is named after Roi Shalev, a massacre survivor who died by suicide, integrating athletic activity with commemoration. The soccer team emerged from the community members' connection to the sport and their desire for a stable, supportive framework.
Prosper Ben Hamo, Chairman of Hapoel Center, described the Sportiada as a unique social and sports endeavor in Israel, emphasizing its role in bringing together thousands of employees from diverse sectors around shared values. He highlighted the Nova Tribe teams' participation as a powerful demonstration of sport's capacity to provide strength, hope, and human connection.
Kineret Tzaf, CEO of Hapoel Center, called the Sportiada the largest and most moving gathering of grassroots sports in Israel, showcasing over ten thousand employees competing with pride. She noted the event's extensive program of hundreds of competitions and performances, reinforcing its status as a major global grassroots sports event.
Paz Amar, Sports Director for the Nova Tribe Community Association, expressed the significance of their teams' debut at the Sportiada, stating that each team represents individuals who have overcome immense hardship and chosen to strengthen each other. He emphasized that for the community, participation transcends competition, marking another milestone in their collective journey.