75 years of
Sports in Israel

In 1970, Israel qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

Yael Arad became the first Israeli to win an Olympic Medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Arad won a Silver Medal in women’s Judo, and dedicated the medal to the victims of the 1972 Munich Massacre. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

Eleven Israeli Olympic athletes were murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. After a 34-hour pause, the organizers decided to continue with the Games, a decision which drew much criticism and condemnation.

In 2009, Omri Casspi became the first Israeli drafted into the NBA. After playing for Hapoel Galil Elyon and Maccabi Tel Aviv, Casspi joined the Sacramento Kings. He went on to play for several other American teams before returning to Israel and retiring in 2021. Photo by Flash90

Maccabi Tel Aviv became the first Israeli team to win the European Basketball Championship in 1977. It has added five more championships since then, in 1981, 2001, 2004, 2005, and 2014. Photo by Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90

In 2020, Israeli basketball star Deni Avdija was drafted by the Washington Wizards with the 9th overall pick. In 2022, during a wave of terrorism in Israel, Avdija placed a Star of David and “Am Yisrael Chai” on his sneakers to show his support for Israel. Photo Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90