Maccabi Ashdod Includes Five Homegrown Players in Premier Basketball League Roster

Ahead of the upcoming season in the Israeli Premier Basketball League (Winner League), Maccabi Ashdod is reinforcing its commitment to youth development by including five graduates from its youth academy in the senior team roster. This move highlights the club's policy to provide a clear pathway for young players to progress to the senior squad.

Among the promoted players is 22-year-old guard Ofel Bechar, who has experience playing in both the National and Regional Leagues and will also serve as a youth coach. Nineteen-year-old guard Ilay Lugasi, who was an overage player in the youth team last season, will hold a dual license to play for Hapoel Gezer in the Regional League and Maccabi Ashdod in the Premier League. Similarly, 18-year-old guard Ori Brent and 18-year-old point guard Eliya Nakar will have dual licenses with Elitzur Ramla and Hapoel Brenner respectively, while also being part of the senior team.

Seventeen-year-old Rotem Gila, a high school senior and point guard, will also be included in the senior squad. Nati Cohen, the club's professional manager, emphasized the club’s philosophy: "We are a club with a youth department that has a senior team, not the other way around." He added that the goal is to create a genuine and clear development path for young players, exposing them to the senior team’s professional staff and increasing the likelihood that homegrown players will become key members of the senior squad. This approach was already in practice in the National League and will continue in the Premier League.