Israeli Handball Chief Meets Serbian Counterpart to Discuss Return of International Games
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
Idan Mizrahi, Chairman of the Israeli Handball Association, met with Bozidar Djurkovic, Chairman of the Serbian Handball Association, in Serbia to discuss bringing international handball matches back to Israel. Djurkovic expressed strong support and pledged assistance. The meeting also covered expanding bilateral cooperation, including joint training and friendly matches. Mizrahi aims to host the final European Championship qualifiers in Israel in May and is working to strengthen Israel's position in international handball.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israeli Handball Association Chairman Idan Mizrahi met with Serbian counterpart Bozidar Djurkovic to discuss returning international games to Israel.
- Djurkovic expressed strong support for Israel and pledged to help bring international matches back to the country.
- The meeting also focused on expanding cooperation between the Israeli and Serbian handball federations.
- Mizrahi hopes to host the final European Championship qualifiers in Israel in May.
- Seven Israeli teams are currently competing in European tournaments despite logistical challenges.
- Mizrahi aims for Israel to qualify for the 2028 European Championship.
Idan Mizrahi, Chairman of the Israeli Handball Association, met with Bozidar Djurkovic, Chairman of the Serbian Handball Association and a senior international figure, in Serbia. The meeting focused on efforts to bring international handball matches back to Israel, strengthen bilateral cooperation, and enhance the standing of Israeli handball in Europe and globally.
Mizrahi was in Serbia as part of a visit with the Maccabi Rishon LeZion team, which was scheduled to play Vojvodina in the EHF European Cup. He attended a celebratory lunch with Arik Alkalai, Chairman of Maccabi Rishon LeZion, and Amir Aharon, a board member of the Israeli Handball Association.
During the meeting, Mizrahi emphasized the importance of hosting international games in Israel for both national teams and clubs, requesting Djurkovic's support in advancing this goal with influential European and world handball bodies. Djurkovic expressed his support for Israel, noting a recent visit before the October 7th events and his warm feelings towards the country. He pledged to assist as much as possible and expressed hope for the swift return of international matches to Israel.
The two also discussed expanding cooperation between their respective handball associations, including friendly matches between national teams, joint training camps, professional collaboration for men's and women's teams, and developing future talent. Mizrahi presented Djurkovic with a special gift from the Israeli Handball Association and invited him for an official visit to Israel.
Mizrahi stated that bringing international games back to Israel has been a primary goal since he took office 18 months ago. He noted that while games had returned briefly in January of the previous year, further conflict in March necessitated hosting matches abroad again. He highlighted a recent agreement with the Slovenian Handball Federation to swap home and away games, which could allow Israel to host the final two European Championship qualifiers in May.
Mizrahi also mentioned the goal of qualifying for the 2028 European Championship and expressed pride in building international relationships that help advance Israeli handball. He acknowledged that seven Israeli teams are currently competing in European tournaments despite logistical challenges and the need to host games outside Israel, pledging continued support for them. The meeting in Serbia was described as another step in Mizrahi's international efforts to strengthen the Israeli Handball Association and bring international games back to Israeli venues.
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