Continuing the legacy: Today (Thursday) will be held for the 21st year, the traditional youth tournament in memory of the late Idan Rochin in Jerusalem. The tournament, which is used every year as a preparatory tournament for the upcoming game season in the youth leagues, will be held at the Malcha Sports Hall and Beit HaLochem in the capital.
The youth teams of Hapoel Jerusalem, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Hapoel Haifa, Maccabi Rishon Lezion, Ironi Ra'anana and Maccabi Ramat Gan will participate in the tournament.
The early stages of the tournament began in the afternoon, and before the final match, the annual ceremony in Rochin's memory will be held.
The late Rochin played as a child in the basketball schools of the Jerusalem Municipality and in the children's teams of Maccabi Jerusalem until he was first diagnosed with cancer at the age of 10. After bravely facing the disease and defeating it, Rochin returned to basketball very quickly, but this time (due to a physical limitation caused by the disease) as a basketball coach and as a coach.
At the age of 16, after defeating the disease for the second time, he began coaching basketball and 8th grade teams in the youth department of Hapoel Jerusalem.
Idan even led the Keif Gila school team to great success in the school league of the Jerusalem district and was even chosen as the outstanding coach of the league.
Idan continued to specialize and undergo professional basketball training at the Wingate Institute and in Jerusalem.
At the age of 18, Idan got cancer for the third time, which was also the hardest battle for him and three years later, at the age of 21, he died.
After his death, it became clear to the family that he had signed up for a basketball coaching course at Wingate, which he had not been able to attend.
Since his passing, his father Yaron, one of the most recognizable and well-known fans of Hapoel Jerusalem, has been working to commemorate his son through basketball and through the special values he left us.
Yaron, Idan's father: "The traditional tournament for national youth teams is held according to Idan's legacy and image. The tournament is all about Idan who loved life, people and sports. We want to pass on the amazing values of giving and loving people that Idan had to as many youth as possible. We are excited every time anew by the tournament and by the youth teams that come year after year with a lot of commitment, sportsmanship and above all a desire to commemorate Idan. A big thank you to the Jerusalem Municipality, the Municipal Sports Department, the youth department of Hapoel Jerusalem and the club's senior team for the true partnership in producing the tournament every year." .
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