Israel Basketball Chief Invites Uruguay for Exhibition Game

The Chairman of the Israeli Basketball Association, Amos Frishman, has invited the Uruguayan national basketball team to play a friendly match in Israel next summer. The invitation was extended during a visit by a delegation of Uruguayan sports officials, including former player Esteban Batista and the chairman of Uruguay's basketball association, Héctor Assir, to the Israeli Basketball Association's offices.

During the meeting, the Uruguayan delegation received an overview of the Israeli association's activities, its friendship foundation, goals, and social projects, emphasizing basketball's role as a tool for social cohesion and a bridge between cultures. Ariel Beit-Halahmy, coach of the Israeli national team, presented the work with youth and senior national teams, as well as the women's department's progress and achievements.

Frishman proposed the exhibition game, noting that both the Israeli and Uruguayan national teams will be preparing for major tournaments next summer, Israel for Olympic pre-qualifiers and Uruguay for the World Cup in Qatar. The Uruguayan chairman welcomed the invitation, stating that his team would be happy to visit Israel as part of their World Cup preparations. Both sides agreed to maintain contact to coordinate the game.

Following the visit, Frishman stated that hosting such a delegation, especially during the current period, sends a message to the world that it is possible to visit Israel and maintain normalcy. He expressed confidence that the game would benefit both teams professionally and help "bring games back to the country."