The opening ceremony of the 21st Maccabiah Games will be held on July 14th at Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem. The ceremony is due to take place with a 30,000 strong crowd, and will see torches carried by five athletes: Tokyo Olympic medalist Avishag Semberg; swimmer Anastasia Gorbenko; Paralympic swimmers, Mark Maliar and Iyad Shalabi, and Jewish-American baseball player Ian Kinsler. The Games’ ceremonial torch will be kindled by Israeli Olympic Medalists Linoy Ashram and Artem Dolgopyat.
The 21st Maccabiah is the biggest sporting event in 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 include about 10,000 athletes from about 60 countries who will compete in dozens of sports, along with thousands of supporting staff, fans and tourists. As part of the Maccabiah, dozens of sports events open to the general public will be held throughout the country under the title 'Israel Celebrates Sport', in addition to a long line of social events that offer the participants a unique and unforgettable experience.
Details were revealed at a launch event attended by Chairman of Maccabi World Union (MWU), Amir Peled; CEO of MWU, Eyal Tiberger; CEO of the Maccabiah, Roy Hessing and many past and present athletes, including: Former basketball legends: Tal Brody, Miki Berkowitz and Doron Jamchi; Olympic medalists: Linoy Ashram and Artem Dolgopyat; basketball player Gal Mekel; gymnasts Alex Shatilov and Nikol Zelikman; Paralympic basketballer Asael Shabo; Ninja Israel champions: Yuval Shemla, Matan Bello, Adam Brotman, Amor Paz, Sol Bocian and more.
During the event, Ze’evi announced five new sports that will be part of the Maccabiah this year: Wave surfing, climbing, 3X3 basketball, motocross and paddle. In addition, after 33 years, the weightlifting contest will return to the Maccabiah. Ze’evi added that for the first time, this year’s Maccabiah torch was printed with special technology on a three-dimensional printer and that for the first time all the games will be broadcasted live all over the world via Pixellot - which will allow families to watch their loved ones compete from afar.
"The Maccabiah has grown over the years, and there is not a single Olympic village that can accommodate it all. Therefore, this year, the entire State of Israel is going to be our Olympic village, with competitions and events all over the country," said Maccabiah chairman, Arik Ze’evi. “The Maccabiah is an inseparable part of the Israeli community. As such, this year 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, Israeli flag bearers on the way to its hoisting will be representatives from social organizations and associations. I would like to thank our many partners, starting with the Israeli government led by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, and for the big support we have received from the national institutions and commercial companies that help us make the Maccabiah such a big and powerful event. We will be bringing to an Israeli audience a unique sports celebration that has never been seen before in Israel,” Ze’evi concluded.
In the best tradition, the Maccabiah Opening Event is expected to be spectacular and exciting, combining a rich artistic performance featuring hundreds of dancers and pyrotechnics. The Event will also include the traditional delegation parade, in which about 10,000 athletes from around 60 countries will participate.