Basketball
Destruction in Israel, Hapoel Tel Aviv failed in the game against Maccabi Tel Aviv
The Israeli police’s decision to ask Hapoel Tel Aviv fans for ID led to the team deciding not to play in the Winner Cup semi-final against Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Thursday (September 28) is being described by the country’s media as a “black day for Israeli basketball” as Hapoel Tel Aviv decided not to advance to the semi-finals of the Winner Cup against Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Hapoel agents announced via their social media accounts that “We have sports fans, not criminals. Since the morning we have received news that the police consider today’s game as an event of war and our fans, children, women and men aged 8 to 80, as potential criminals. For this reason, we decided that we should not enter a competition. Sport belongs to the fans“.
What really happened? Israeli police reportedly expected certain people at the stadium and asked them to inform Hapoel Tel Aviv fans that they would have to show their IDs to enter the stands. Something that was described as disrespect by the club, which led to this Maccabi Tel Aviv qualified without a fight for the final of the competition, where they met Hapoel Jerusalem.
Source: sport 24
I am a sports writer and journalist who has written for various online publications including Sportish. I’m originally from the UK but currently live in Toronto, Canada. I’m also an author on Sportish and have written several articles on a variety of sports-related topics.