Peled: ‘Opening ceremony a sell-out’

MACCABIAH THOUSANDS of the participants for the 20th Maccabiah Games have already arrived in Israel ahead of next Thursday’s Opening Ceremony at Jerusalem’s Teddy Stadium.

Under the slogan “80 Countries, One Heart,” more than 10,000 athletes will take part in 40 different sports across the Junior, Open, Masters and Paralympics categories — the largest-ever Maccabiah in terms of both participants and competing nations.

“Tickets are sold out for the opening ceremony in Jerusalem,” said Macca- biah chairman Amir Peled, “and for the first time the ceremony will be broadcast live on television around the world for those who can pick up the i24 station.

“The US Maccabiah team is strong on finance and business, as well as sports,” says Peled. “They will include former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers in the table tennis team and Comcast CEO Brian Roberts in squash.”

Len Blavatnik, Britain’s second wealthiest man, who received a knighthood earlier this month, will also represent the USA in table tennis.

Some 20,000 relatives from abroad are expected to visit Israel to see their family members compete and they will inject an estimated £80 million into the Israeli economy.

Many of the Russian Paralympics athletes are being sponsored by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and his wife, Darya Zhukova.

Cricketer Naomi Eytan will find out on Sunday if she can represent the Israel under-19 cricket team. Current Maccabiah regulations forbid mixed teams in any sport. Her case was heard in the Tel Aviv District Court on Wednesday and a decision will be handed down this weekend.