Israeli fencer Yuval Freilich won the gold medal at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix. Qatar, despite working on negotiations with the US and Israel, has no diplomatic ties with Israel and houses Hamas leadership on their soil. Including right now. 29-year-old Freilich wore a uniform with an Israeli flag on it along with the message “Am Yisrael Chai” (the people of Israel live) written on his shoulder. It was an unusual and touching experience when Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem played out in Qatar as is custom to play the anthem of any match winner. That may be the only time Hatikvah was played on a stage in qatar.
Israeli windsurfer Sharon Kantor came in as number 1, taking the gold at the I-Q-Foil World Championships. The competition was held off the coast of Africa in Spain’s Canary Island, called Lanzarote Island. Kantor is set to represent Israel at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games this summer. The bronze medal went to an Israeli, 23-year-old Katy Spychanov.
Finally, Israel’s under-20 men’s national ice hockey team scored a gold medal at the world championship in Bulgaria.The story is significant because initially, the International Ice Hockey Federation banned Israel’s participation. They said they had to keep Israel out of the games due to security concerns. The federation later reversed its decision after getting hit with widespread criticism. The awards ceremony took place on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which was on January 27th.
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