A huge achievement for Israel's women's water polo team, which today (Wednesday) defeated the host Croatia in Split 8:15 in the ranking games 5-8 at the European Championship and obtained the ticket to the World Championship in Japan next year, for the first time in its history.
This is Israel's most impressive achievement in ball games in 36 years since the men's basketball team qualified for the World Championship in Spain, then finished in seventh place.
In soccer, the team made its first (and last) appearance in 1970 in Mexico, which was also the year the volleyball team also took part in the World Championship in Bulgaria.
If you want to emphasize the magnitude of the achievement, this is the first women's volleyball team to appear in the World Championship, since the Israeli volleyball team did this, when they took part in the championship in 1956, where they finished in 14th place.
The Blues and Whites came to the game after losing in the quarter-finals to the strong Greece, when they knew that a victory in the ranking game would give them a place in the most important tournament of the industry, after the Olympic games, and from the start you could see the fighting, when they did not let the home advantage of their opponents have an effect.
If so, Croatia started strong and got on the board first at the start of the first quarter with a quick 2:0, while Israel, led by Dimitris Mabrutas, managed to come back and go down after the first 8 minutes in a 3:3 tie, when in the second quarter the girls stepped on the gas and increased the gap, when the half ended with a 4:8 advantage.
During the second half, Israel moved the ball patiently and continued to score goals and did not let Croatia shrink, until the huge victory.
Following the victory, Israel still did not have the last word in the tournament, when it will compete this Friday (18:30) for fifth place in the European Championship, when it will meet Hungary, which defeated France 9:19 in the corresponding match for places 5-8.
Scorers for Israel: Nofer Hochberg (4), Maria Bogachenko (4), Noa Sasover (2), Alma Jacobi (2), Shonit Strugo (2), Hila Futorian.
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