Israel NOC News
10 December 2024 - Find here the latest news from the National Olympic Committee: events, courses, general assemblies and elections, trophies and much more.
10 December 2024 - The 2024 Annual Athletes’ Forum celebrated the conclusion of the most successful Olympic Games in Israeli sports history. Organised by the NOC Athletes’ Commission (AC), the Forum brought together 60 Olympic athletes from a wide range of sports, spanning generations – from athletes competing at the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992 to members of the Paris 2024 delegation. Opening remarks were delivered by NOC President and IOC Member Yael Arad and CEO Gili Lustig, and then by Chair of the AC Yakov Toumarkin. The Forum provided an opportunity to express gratitude to the outgoing AC members (Shahar Zubari, Linoy Ashram, Nufar Edelman, Yuval Filo, Hanna Minenko, Andi Murez and Ilana Kratysh) and to welcome the newly elected members (Girmaw Amare, Maayan Davidovich, Peter Paltchik, Maor Tiyouri, Shelly Bobritsky, Denis Loktev, Gili Cohen, and Nina Amir). The Forum was financed through the NOC Athletes’ Commission Activity grants for 2024, an Olympic Solidarity programme. Info at www.olympicsil.co.il.
30 October 2024 - The NOC, in collaboration with its Athletes’ Commission, initiated a sporting activity inspired by the Olympic values for 160 orphaned children and teenagers. The goal of the activity was to provide the orphans with inspiration and support, offering them an empowering and enjoyable experience alongside Olympic athletes, to help them cope with their loss and the many challenges they face. This initiative reflects the deep commitment of Olympic athletes to social action and supporting Israeli society, particularly children and teens. Alongside the NOC President, IOC Member Yael Arad, NOC CEO Gili Lustig and NOC Head of Education Yarden Har Lev, the participating athletes included Girmaw Amare, Maayan Davidovich, Yuval Freilich, Yam Wolczak, Nufar Edelman, Nina Amir, Gili Cohen, Shahar Kleiner and Nitai Hasson. Details at www.olympicsil.co.il.
20 September 2024 - Over the past year, the NOC has been leading a national initiative among sports federations, athletes and fans to promote sustainability in sport in Israel and to help adapt to the climate crisis. As part of this effort, the NOC signed the United Nations' "Sports for Climate Action" agreement, with funding support from Olympic Solidarity; mapped the greenhouse gas emissions associated with its activities; and decided to offset the greenhouse gas emissions of the Olympic delegation for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 by planting a climate forest in the city of Sderot.
The trees will be planted by Olympic athletes together with the local community, in a joint project being carried out by the NOC, the Sderot Municipality, the Ashkelon Coastal Environmental Unit, the Good Energy Initiative NGO and the Jewish National Fund, with the aim of strengthening and revitalising the local community and developing social and climate resilience in the spirit of the Olympic values. Info at www.olympicsil.co.il.
05 July 2024 - One month before the opening of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the NOC marked Olympic Day with a festive event including Olympic and Paralympic athletes, children and young people at the Meir Medical Centre. This is the second year running that the NOC has chosen to dedicate this day to the children of the Meir Sport and Health Centre, where Olympic athletes have been volunteering during the past two years. The Centre has been the official medical accompanier of the Olympic team for over two decades. The event was opened by Yael Arad, IOC Member and NOC President, together with Yaron Mushkat, the Centre’s CEO. About 130 children who took part were able to experience various Olympic and Paralympic sports. More info at www.olympicsil.co.il.
12 June 2024 - As part of the collaboration between the NOC and Intel Israel, 100 young athletes on the NOC programme "Olympic Class" participated in a unique workshop that combines innovative AI technology with excellence. Over four sessions, the teenagers learned basic concepts, improved their abilities and understanding of the principles of AI, and even visited the Intel Research and Development Laboratories in Haifa. In addition, the studying process included mentoring by experts from Intel, who supported the young students in developing technological ideas in the field of AI to solve problems in sport. More details at www.olympicsil.co.il.
03 June 2024 - The NOC has launched a unique programme for selected elite female coaches, which will impart knowledge and skills for career management and professional and personal advancement. The six-month programme was created in collaboration with Olympic Solidarity, and its purpose is to provide tools, strengthen capabilities, and empower female coaches with the professional horizon of leading the Olympic champions of tomorrow. The programme includes lectures by experts from various fields. In addition, each of the nine coaches will be accompanied by a senior mentor from diverse sectors such as sport, academia and multinational corporations, each contributing their various speciality. Among the participating mentors are NOC President and IOC Member Yael Arad, and the Chair of the Gender Equality Commission, Suzy Yogev. More details at www.olympicsil.co.il
19 March 2024 - The NOC marked International Women's Day at a joint conference with the Ministry of Sport held at Intel Israel. The event was attended by leading women from various disciplines, in the presence of NOC President and IOC Member Yael Arad, NOC CEO Gili Lustig and NOC Gender Equality Commission Chair Susy Yogev, alongside 150 female athletes, coaches, managers, directors and partners from various sports organisations. In Israeli sport, many programmes are being run to strengthen and enhance gender equality, out of a desire to encourage both girls and boys to take part in competitive sports. Israeli sport has set itself the goal of increasing female representation in 2024. To do this, the NOC, supported by Olympic Solidarity, has initiated the “Coaches of Tomorrow Programme”. This aims to manage the personal growth of accomplished coaches to help them move into key positions in their professional field in Israeli sport. More details on the NOC website.
15 January 2024 - Ahead of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the NOC is spearheading a national sustainability initiative in sport. In line with the IOC’s commitment to sustainability, the NOC, chaired by IOC Member Yael Arad, has officially signed the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework. The NOC Sustainability Commission, chaired by Adi Wolfson, has integrated a sustainability strategy into its core activities, aiming to inspire and assist sports bodies in embracing sustainability principles and engage the public through information and education. Info at www.olympicsil.co.il.
10 July 2023 - The NOC celebrated Olympic Day by organising an Olympic Festival at Meir Medical Centre, with the participation of Olympians and Paralympians along with dozens of children and teenagers. The NOC dedicated this special day – the theme of which this year was “Let’s Move” – to children and young people who are overweight or suffer from obesity at Meir Medical Centre, where Olympic athletes volunteer throughout the year. About 100 children were able to experience several Olympic and Paralympic sports. NOC President Yael Arad, Athletes’ Commission Chair Yakov Toumarkin and Olympic medallists Linoy Ashram and Peter Paltchik also participated in the event. More info at www.olympicsil.co.il
30 May 2023 - As part of the NOC’s strategy to promote the Olympic values, the Education Department, together with the Athletes’ Commission, is leading a series of community-involvement and social-responsibility initiatives. Among these, the NOC has initiated collaboration with Latet, the largest NGO in Israel that combats poverty and food insecurity in the country. This cooperation started with Latet's “Nutritional Security” programme, which aims to reduce food insecurity among families and individuals living in severe poverty by salvaging, collecting and distributing food. The first stage took place before Passover, when students of the Olympic Class, a programme led by the NOC and Olympic medallist Arik Ze’evi, mobilised for 10 days of collecting food from customers in a supermarket in Tel Aviv. The second stage involved over 70 athletes and coaches, including Olympic medallists Yael Arad, who is also the NOC President, Peter Paltchik and Shahar Zubari, together with the NOC CEO Gili Lustig and staff members, who at the NGO’s logistics centre packed food packages for families living in food insecurity. More info at www.olympicsil.co.il.
08 May 2023 - One year after the death of Alex Gilady, the Olympic Committee of Israel and Keshet Broadcasting announced the launch of a new Excellence Scholarship in his memory. An IOC Member from 1994 to 2022, Gilady was also a media personality, one of the founders of Keshet Media Group and Vice-President of NBC Sports. In light of his expertise in the field of Olympic sports journalism and in general, in Israel and globally, the NOC Executive Board, in collaboration with the Keshet Media Group, has decided to launch an Excellence Scholarship in the field of sports communication, which will enable the development of sports media professionals and encourage excellence and professionalisation in the field. The scholarship will be awarded in two rounds - one this year in preparation for Paris 2024, and the second in 2025 in preparation for Milano-Cortina 2026. More details at www.olympicsil.co.il.
23 November 2022 - The Olympic Committee of Israel organised two events on 8 November. In the morning, the 5th annual innovation and sports conference, “Sports Tech Nation 2022”, was held in Tel Aviv. The NOC along with its strategic partners (Technion Institute of Technology, the Weizmann Institute of Science and Levinsky-Wingate Academic Centre) led a unique session focusing on themes such as genetics, biomechanics, the biological clock and elite sports, with seven women and seven men taking part. In the afternoon, the 2nd Directors Forum, a joint initiative of the NOC and “Athena - the Centre for Promoting Women’s Sports in Israel”, was held at Ono Academic College. The Forum aims to connect female and male sports directors with the business world, while providing practical tools for their integration into management levels and accelerating the echelon of senior managers to take leadership positions in the world of sports. This year, the main topic was innovation in marketing as a management tool, which was attended by 55 directors, including the NOC President, Yael Arad. More info at www.olympicsil.co.il.
10 October 2022 - The NOC of Israel has informed us that, during his recent visit to Israel, the IOC President signed the NOC’s Charter for Gender Equality. The event took place in the presence of NOC President Yael Arad and NOC Gender Equality Chair Suzy Yogev, as well as NOC Board members and sports officials. Written and signed on Olympic Day 2018, the Charter demonstrates a commitment to promoting gender equality in sport and a sense of responsibility for shaping the image of sport in Israel. More info at www.olympicsil.co.il.
21 july 2022 - The 2nd International Conference on Gender Equality in Sport, initiated and led by the Olympic Committee of Israel in partnership with key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Culture and Sport, the US embassy in Israel, the Israel Paralympic Committee, the Israel Women's Lobby and leading universities, took place on 10 July at the Levinsky-Wingate Academic Center in Netanya. The conference shone a spotlight on the challenges of women in sport in Israel, in order to raise awareness and initiate action to promote gender equality in practice. It also provided a platform for sharing applicable insights regarding gender in sport from Israel and the world by inspiring Israeli academics, coaches and athletes, as well as senior figures from the world of sport and government from Israel and abroad. The conference was opened by Annamarie Phelps, Chair of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) Gender Equity Commission, with speeches from NOC President Yael Arad, CEO Gili Lustig and Suzy Yogev, Chair of the NOC Gender Equality Commission. Info at www.olympicsil.co.il.
02 May 2022 - The Olympic Committee of Israel has launched the second English version of its Scientific Journal. Click here to access the Journal.
04 April 2021 - In March, the Olympic Committee of Israel organised various activities advancing gender equality and highlighting the values of Olympism. On the topic of Olympism in Action, the NOC invited Eric Monnin, Vice President of the University of Franche-Comté and Olympism representative of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee, to give a lecture to the French-speaking Olympic community on the subject: “Olympic education and the host city of the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad”. On International Women’s Day, the NOC launched the #MyFemaleChampion Campaign. The Israeli Olympic athletes and stakeholders were asked to choose an inspirational and groundbreaking female champion who does not necessarily win medals for their activity, but deserves to. A seminar was organised on Health, Dietary and Gender Issues of Elite Female Athletes (photo). The third cycle of the NOC Directors Course for Senior Women Executives in Sport was held, as was the Directors Forum, which is designed to establish a “Knowledge Pool Community” to support and empower female executives at a high professional level. A Gender Equality Report for 2021 and Guidelines for Gender Balance in Events & Ceremonies were also published. Info at www.olympicsil.co.il.
02 July 2021 - The Olympic Committee of Israel marked Olympic Day 2021 with two notable events. On 9 June, an Olympic Day Webinar (see photo) was held as part of the 6th International Congress of Exercise and Sport Sciences at the Academic College at Wingate in collaboration with the US Embassy in Israel and the European Olympic Academies (EOA). The webinar featured 22 different lectures related to Olympic history, Olympic education and the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, among others. The speakers included IOC Member Richard Pound, IOA Dean Konstantinos Georgiadis, EOA President Manfred Laemmer and seven-time Olympic medallist in gymnastics Simona Amanar, as well as Yael Arad, Chair of the Israeli NOC Sports Commission. The event was attended by participants from all five continents, including sports managers, coaches, athletes, journalists, academics, students and physical education teachers. On 23 June, the NOC conducted an interactive Olympic quiz on social media channels with the participation of Israeli athletes who will compete in Tokyo. More than 70,000 people were reached with Olympic Day content via the NOC's social media. The President of Israel, Reuven Ruvi Rivlin, also sent a special greeting at the end of the day. In addition, the departure ceremony of the Olympic and Paralympic delegations to Tokyo was held at the President's House in Jerusalem. More info at www.olympicsil.co.il.
01 February 2021 - The Olympic Committee of Israel has announced that the Israeli Women's Gymnastics Championships, organised by the Israel Gymnastics Association, will bear the name of Ágnes Keleti, the most successful female Jewish athlete in Olympic history and the recipient of the Israel Prize for Sports and Physical Education 2017. The idea of honouring Ágnes, a legend of gymnastics, for her 100th birthday was conceived by Chaya Halperin, a member of the Israeli gymnastics team in the 1960s, who was chosen by Ágnes to work with her as a teacher at the Zinman College of Physical Education at the Wingate Institute, collaborating with the Olympic Committee of Israel and the Israel Gymnastics Association. More info at www.olympicsil.co.il.
23 November 2020 - The Olympic Committee of Israel has launched a strategic plan and gender standardisation as a compass for instilling gender equality. In the plan’s introductory message, Igal Carmi, the President of the Olympic Committee of Israel, and Gilad Lustig, its CEO, wrote: “The Olympic Committee of Israel has joined the call by IOC President Thomas Bach to reduce gender gaps in sport and to strive for equality between genders through commitment and responsibility, by having an influence and serving as an example to sports organisations in Israel.” Indeed, between 2018 and 2020, the Olympic Committee of Israel has implemented 10 out of the 25 recommendations issued by the IOC via diverse projects and plans and a budget allocation for their execution. Click here for the 2020-2024 strategic plan in English. Info at www.olympicsil.co.il.
13 june 2019 - The First Scientific Conference of the Israeli Olympics Sports Research Centre – aimed at using scientific knowledge to improve sports performance, was held recently at Technion – the Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, with which the Israeli NOC has a cooperation venture. Leading researchers and scientists, as well as senior coaches from Israel and members of the sports-tech industry took part. Among the scientific and technological challenges in the field of athletic achievement that were discussed was the challenge of breaking the two-hour barrier in marathon races. More details on www.olympicsil.co.il.
27 may 2019 - The Olympic Committee of Israel welcomed Olympic gymnastics champion Nadia Comaneci, also Honorary President of the Romanian Olympic Committee, accompanied by her husband Bart Conner, also an Olympic champion in gymnastics. She was invited to Israel to start the country’s traditional women's race, the Life Run. They were received by Gilad Lustig, CEO of the NOC, and four female Israeli sporting greats: Esther Roth Shachamorov (athletics), Yael Arad (judo), Lee Korzitz (sailing) and Neta Rivkin (gymnastics). Comaneci and her husband visited the NOC’s Olympic Experience Museum and met dozens of young gymnasts and senior male gymnasts at the gymnasium hall located in the Olympic building. (Photo: second row, from left to right: Ilan Gazit, Yael Arad, Nadia Comaneci, Esther Roth Shachamorov, Bart Conner. Front row: Neta Rivkin, Gilad Lustig, Lee Korzitz.)
In addition, the Olympic Committee of Israel and the Academic College at Wingate have held the first International Conference on Sport and Gender. The aim of the Conference was to discuss the challenges in women's sport and promote equality between men and women in Israel. A video message from the IOC President was shown. The Israel Olympic Quiz was also conducted for the fourth consecutive year, and in the spirit of the Conference its main subject was women and Olympic sport. More info at www.olympicsil.co.il
15 January 2019 - In early January, the Minister in charge of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, Sakurada Yoshitaka (left in photo), visited the NOC of Israel. Present on this occasion were NOC President Igal Carmi (right in photo) and CEO Gilad Lustig, IOC Member Alex Gilady, Israeli Paralympic Committee President Shuki Dekel and Secretary General Nissim Sasportas, as well as the NOC’s Goodwill Ambassador, Roni Bornstein. Info at www.olympicsil.co.il.
10 december 2018 - IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell (centre) visited Israel as a guest of the Olympic Committee of Israel. He was accompanied by IOC member Alex Gilady (l. on photo) and NOC CEO Gilad Lustig (r. on photo), Yael Arad, Chairwoman ofthe NOC Sport Commission and Daniel Oren, Head of the Israeli Elite Sport Department. A session was held at the Israeli NOC Headquarterswith the attendance of the Israeli Elite Sport Department, Sports Federations, Executive BoardMembers and professional coordinators. Kit McConnell talked about the development of Olympic sports, the goals of the IOC and the development of the Olympic Games focusing on the athletes. He also emphasised the importance for NOCs of cooperatingwith sports federations and committees to promote Olympic sport together. More info at www.olympicsil.co.il.
18 September 2018 - On 5 September in Tel Aviv, the Olympic Committee of Israel held the 46th annual ceremony in memory of the 11 athletes, coaches and referees who were killed during the Olympic Games Munich 1972. Attending the ceremony were the Minister of Culture and Sport, Miri Regev; Israel Olympic Committee President Igal Carmi and CEO Gilad Lustig; the German cultural attaché; representatives of the Israeli government and Tel-Aviv Municipality; Munich athletes and their families; families of the 11 victims with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren; the Olympic delegation to the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 and hundreds of other people. The athlete Esther Rot Shahamorov and the swimmer Shlomit Nir Tor, from the 1972 Israeli delegation, laid a wreath at the monument in memory of the 11 victims (photo above). More info at www.olympicsil.co.il.
26 June 2018 - The Olympic Committee of Israel marked Olympic Day by conducting a satellite Olympic studies programme within the framework of the 5th International Congress of Exercise and Sports Sciences at the Academic College at Wingate. The Congress included some 17 different disciplines in the field of sports sciences. Approximately 1,000 participants attended the Congress, opened by NOC President Igal Carmi (photo), with lecturers from 25 countries. The third Olympic Quiz Finals were also held, with the participation of physical education students and eight representatives from each physical education college in Israel. The event was attended by some 200 spectators, including college teachers, students, pupils, Olympic athletes and Olympic coaches.