One of last year's Cinderella stories in Israeli basketball came from the city of Kiryat Ata.
The northern club, which finished the regular season in 4th place in the national league, embarked on a dizzying playoff run that ended with an impressive promotion that surprised many.
However, for the members of the team and the CEO of the club, Tali Haim, who heads it, promotion to the league was only the first step in the process, with the stated goal not to be satisfied with survival in the top league at the end of the season, but to drive a stake in the league.
After the halfway point of the season and ahead of tonight's home game against Maccabi Tel Aviv, Tali Haim, the only woman in the Premier League who heads a team and serves as the club's CEO, gave an exclusive interview to "Israel Hayom", and shared in the conversation heartfelt messages about the world of male sports, the vision for the future, Breaking the barriers and glass ceilings and the desire to inspire more women.
Tali Haim.
Want to see more women in basketball, photo: Michelle Dotcom
Tali, how did your relationship with the world of basketball begin
?
"I grew up from a young age in a home where sports were central, I played basketball and I used to go to games. At the age of 16, my son started playing for Kiryat Ata and my relationship with the team grew stronger. I started as a sponsor and I accompanied the team around the country to games. After a while, they asked me to join the management and that's how I got to the position of CEO "Lith
You are the only CEO in the Premier League, how does it feel?
"I really enjoy my work and serving as CEO not only because I am a woman because in sports there is no difference of religion, race or gender.
I'm the first, but I'm sure I won't be the last.
Every glass ceiling we break as women leads the way for more women to follow.
Israeli sports and basketball need more women in key positions."
Do you think you are an example for women who can integrate into key positions in sports
?
"This is not my main goal, but I hope that I do set an example. If a woman has all the required skills, there is no reason why she should not be involved in sports as well. I hope that more teams will see that this is possible and open the door for more women."
Tali Haim.
"Hope to open a door for more women", photo: Michelle Dot Com
Do you receive the same treatment that a male CEO would receive in your opinion
?
"I was never asked directly, 'What are you doing here?', but at the beginning they looked at me with a certain suspicion and thought it was a curiosity, over time the things I did proved themselves and it became natural. They saw that I am a woman and I do my job and there are points where I can to contribute a new point of view".
How do the players accept it
?
"The players learned to accept it and respect it over the years because it was new to them as well, some of them feel even more comfortable consulting me about things that bother them outside of basketball."
You started your way in a team as a sponsor, what makes a person invest in a sports team knowing that there is no general profit in it?
"It's just a scratch, everyone who loves sports knows that loving sports is something that is not motivated by logic but exciting. Sports is one of the things in life that brings out the most emotions from you. I do it for the love of sports and basketball, there is no economic logic in it."
Haim admits: "It doesn't make economic sense, photo: Michel dot com
Tonight you will host Maccabi Tel Aviv, I guess you are excited.
"There is excitement in the city and we feel it in the demand for tickets, in terms of the team and the players, the preparation is the same as for any league game."
At the beginning of the season you were marked as a safe bet, people didn't appreciate you enough
?
"We said all along, we moved up a league to stay. We didn't come here to be a curiosity, we set a budget higher than the minimum budget, we built a good team and I think we also proved it on the field that we intend to stay. Even last season, people didn't believe that we moved up a league and we proved ourselves on the field with the help of our basketball."
You made a decision to continue in the senior league with Sharon Abrahami as a coach and with Amin Stevens as a foreigner who will move up with you from the national league, a decision that is not obvious. Why
?
"Sharon has been with the team for years, we had no doubt that he should be our coach in the Premier League. He is an integral part of the team and the city, the last few years and our achievements are thanks to him. Amin was a key key in the squad that promoted us, he has the character we wanted and he is a professional at the highest level He's proving this year that he belongs in the Premier League."
Haim.
Appreciate Sharon Abrahami very much, photo: Michelle dot com
How do you create a legacy and audience base for a group
?
"Victory, if the group succeeds and continues to strengthen the connection to the community, I think that year by year it will increase."
The signing of Michael Brisker at the club was a step that surprised quite a few people, how did you see it?
"We proved that Kiryat Ata is an attractive place for an Israeli player who can get a platform there and lead. This was an important step for us."
You are the only team in the league that did not replace foreigners, how do you explain that
?
"We at the club believe in stability, it's something that goes with us over the years even in the minor league. Last season we were promoted to a league with a foreigner only thanks to the Israeli players, they were our character and therefore we also wanted them to continue with us. We have respect and appreciation for what brought us up a league and we wanted to continue that. In the summer, we wanted to sign more Israelis, but there were Israeli players who were afraid to come to Kiryat Ata, maybe they were afraid of being relegated or that we were a curiosity."
Finally, what is your vision and goal for the future of the club
?
"To bring Kiryat Ata to play in a European institution and next year not to be a bottom team. This year we want to hit a target in the league, next year we will hit a peg in the top playoffs."
Haim.
The main thing is to drive a stake in the league, photo: Michel dot Kom
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