Israel's Women's Junior Water Polo Team Finishes Ninth at European Championship

The Israeli women's junior water polo team secured ninth place at the European Championship after a decisive 16-7 victory over Serbia. The win marked their second consecutive success in the classification matches, ensuring a top-10 finish on the continent. Israel dominated from the start, leading 5-2 after the first quarter and extending to 9-4 by halftime. Key players included Mia Tirosh, who scored seven goals, and Teva Dorfman with four, while Carmel Rahum, Mika Koren, Arbel Frank, and Amit Faibish each contributed one goal.

Coach Orestis Slachas expressed pride in the team's effort and commitment, highlighting their competitive performances against four of the tournament's strongest teams. He noted that facing respected teams like Greece and Italy, who celebrated each goal against Israel, demonstrated the respect earned by the Israeli squad. Slachas emphasized the team's goal to compete at the highest levels and fight for top positions in the coming years.

Meanwhile, Israel's under-16 boys' team suffered a 12-3 defeat to a strong Russian side at the World Championship in Croatia. Yoav Berger scored twice and Michael Ben Eliyahu added one goal for Israel in that match.