Linoy Ashram and Artium Dolgofyat will light the Maccabiah torch at the opening event, Maccabiah chairman Arik Zeevi announced today (Monday) at a festive launch event for the 21st Maccabiah held tonight (Monday) on the roof of the Selena Hotel in Tel Aviv with the participation of about 250 guests.
Zeevi also said that at the opening event to be held on July 14 in front of 30,000 spectators at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem, five athletes will carry the torch before it is lit: the Olympic medalist from Tokyo, Avishag Samberg;
World champion in the 25-meter pool and the one who set the Israeli record achievement in long pools last night - fifth place in the world championship, Anastasia Gurbanko;
Paralympic champions in swimming, Mark Mellier and Iyad Shelby and Jewish-American baseball player Ian Kinsler.
The launch event was attended by, among others: Chairman of Maccabi World Movement, Amir Peled; CEO of Maccabi World Movement, Eyal Tiberger, CEO of Maccabi, Roy Hing and many past and present athletes: Former basketball legends: Tal Brody, Miki Berkowitz and Doron G. Machi; Olympic medalists: Linoy Ashram, Artium Dolgofyat; gymnasts Alex Shtilov and Nicole Zelikman;
During the event, Zeevi announced five new sports that will be part of the Maccabiah this year: surfing, climbing, 3X3 basketball, motocross and paddle.
In addition, the weightlifting competition returns to the Maccabiah sports after an absence of 33 years.
Zeevi also said that this year, for the first time, the Maccabiah torch was printed with special technology on a three-dimensional printer and that for the first time all the games will be broadcast live all over the world via Pixlot - which will allow families to watch their competitors compete from afar.
At the end of the event, the guests enjoyed a special performance by Static and Ben El, who first unveiled the clip for the official Maccabiah song, 'Carnival', which they were chosen to perform and which is expected to be released tomorrow.
"The Maccabiah has grown over the years, and there is not a single Olympic village that can accommodate it. Therefore, the entire State of Israel is going to be our Olympic village this year, with competitions and events all over the country," said Maccabiah chairman Arik Zeevi. And as such, this year too the Maccabiah will host Paralympic Games in a variety of sports as well as competitions in the 'Special Needs' category for athletes with special needs.
During the opening ceremony, representatives from non-profit organizations and social organizations will even be allowed to carry the Israeli flag on the way to hoisting it.
I would like to thank our many partners, led by the Israeli government led by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, and the great support we receive from the national institutions and commercial companies that help us make Maccabiah such a large and powerful one.
We are going to bring to the Israeli audience a unique sports celebration that has not been seen before in Israel, "Zeevi concluded.
The 21st Maccabiah is the largest sporting event of the people of Israel and the second largest in the world, held once every four years with the participation of Israeli and Jewish athletes from all over the world.
The Maccabiah, which will open on July 14 and last for two weeks, is expected to receive about 10,000 athletes from about 60 countries who will compete in dozens of sports, along with thousands of escorts, fans and tourists.
As part of the Maccabiah, dozens of sports events will be held throughout the country, open to the general public, to be held under the title 'Israel Celebrates Sports', in addition to a long line of social events that offer a unique and unforgettable experience to participants.
You are also welcome to follow the Maccabiah and the various events on Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok.
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