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Itai Segev: "All week I trained in my head to lift the trophy" - Voila! sport

2023-02-17T05:12:26.386Z


The captain of Hapoel Jerusalem dedicated the victory in the state cup to the injured speaker Noam, and Noam Yaakov enjoys the company of Or Cornelius: "He is nicer to me than Nando de Colo."


Hapoel Jerusalem players celebrate winning the cup (Twitter, JerusalemBasket)

Hapoel Yerushalayim didn't wake up today (Friday) to a new morning, for the simple reason: she didn't want last night to end so much that she didn't go to sleep.

The Reds celebrated winning the state cup with the fans in the arena, came across the string bridge at the entrance to the city that was painted in the club's colors and bore its symbol, and moved from there to Mahane Yehuda market.

It seems that three years of frustrations - from the stoppage of their journey in 2020 at the hands of the Corona epidemic until yesterday's final - were drained into one big outburst of emotions.



Itai Segev, the only remnant left from the difficult season the team experienced last year and still playing in its ranks, was the star of the celebrations.

When he was called as captain to lift the trophy, he took the farmhand Dan Dan with him.

"He has been with us for many years, part of the team, and we love him," he explained later.

"I'm sure he was also very excited, and I wanted him to experience this moment. There are bigger things than basketball."

a dream come true.

Segev (Photo: Barney Ardov)

how sweet it is

Red Jerusalem (Photo: Barney Ardov)

Immediately after the ceremony, Segev took the microphone in the arena and ran to the fans.

"There is one player who was not here, but he is with us in our hearts," he said with a trembling voice.

"Noam, this trophy is for you."

He obviously meant Noam Doverat, who seriously injured his knee at the beginning of the season, and could not even be with his friends because he underwent surgery this week.

"He is going through a difficult time, but he is with us in our hearts, and his whole career is still ahead of him. It was important for me to dedicate this to him," Segev told me.



- We've already gotten used to late comebacks from behind, and this time you did it in a relatively simple way.



"It was a game with a lot of emotions and pressure, but we won and that's what's important," added the captain.

"The coach always told us that with all these comebacks, we don't have much life to give. So I'm glad we took control and led the game to the pace we wanted to play."



- How many times did you practice the swing this week?



"Physically not at all, but in my head I practiced it too much"...

just the beginning

Jerusalem is rejoicing (Photo: Barney Ardov)

Hapoel Jerusalem, holder of the 2022/23 State Basketball Cup (Photo: Barney Ardov)

"I did it!".

Segev and Cornelius celebrating (Photo: Barney Ardov)

In general, it was the great hour of the Israeli players in the capital.

Segev brought the change in the previous victories over Strasbourg and Hapoel Haifa, Noam Yaakov also starred in the semi-finals, Oz Blazer Lahat in the opening of the final - and the important and decisive actions on the way to the title were performed by Or Cornelius;

Throughout the game he guarded Lorenzo Brown with impressive aggressiveness, and in the last minutes he scored a critical basket at the buzzer and also made sure to steal a ball from the other end.



- Many said that your Israeli staff is gray and not good enough.

Have you heard this review?



"It's something that's pushed me my whole career, but we have players who each have heart and soul, and together with the talent and hard work, I hope we'll continue to win. There's no one happier than me that we won. I'm in the clouds."



- And what is the first thing you will say to your father, Greg Cornelius?



"Soon I will reach him and tell him I did it!"

Hapoel Jerusalem holds the State Cup (Photo: Barney Ardov)

The conductor on the choir.

Dzikic (photo: Barney Ardov)

In the locker room, in the locker next to Cornelius's, his back line partner, Jacob, sat down.

Only a month ago he arrived from Villerban, and already celebrated a first degree in his career.

Who, like the young Israeli who trained this season in the ranks of the French champions, knows how to distinguish the external resemblance between Cornelius and Nando de Colo.

"I prefer the double," laughs Yaakov and looks to the left, "he is nicer to me"... "



I knew I was coming to a new team in the middle of the season, and that I would have to be patient," Yaakov told about the weeks that passed until he entered Alexander Dzikic's rotation.

"It's natural that it takes time to get into things. I'm happy that it's progressing, and the beautiful thing is that there's no ego here. If someone takes one shot or another, no one gets upset, and everyone stays together. It's fun to be a part of it."



After the players finished splashing water on each other in the dressing room, owner Eyal Chomsky entered.

"HaPoel Jerusalem is an essential part of my life and my family, and these moments of happiness keep us above water," he explained.

"We turned Hapoel into something that gives us strength. I work every day to make these fans happy, and it's all a matter of process. You can never know when and how it will come together. This season we've gone up a notch in professionalism, with a coach who is truly a lift, and as time goes by, I I believe that anything can happen."



Participated in the preparation of the article: Ohad Scheuerman

  • sport

  • basketball

  • Super League

Tags

  • Hapoel Jerusalem

  • Itai Segev

Source: walla

All sports articles on 2023-02-17

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