Israeli paralympics
Israeli paralympicsThe British Council

The British Embassy in Israel, together with the British Council, held a special event on Tuesday in honor of the Israeli Paralympics team.

The event, which was held at the Daniel Rowing Centre in Tel Aviv, took place exactly 70 days before the start of the 2012 Summer Paralympics which will take place in London between August 29 and September 9.

The event included a rowing competition between the Israeli Paralympics and a team made up of members of the British Embassy and British Council, including British Ambassador Matthew Gould and British Council Director Dr. Simon Kay. Ambassador Gould also congratulated the Israeli team as it prepares for the upcoming games.

Ambassador Gould told Arutz Sheva that the competition “is a fantastic way to mark the excitement we feel about the London Paralympics.”

“For once, I’ve gone a bit Israeli,” he added, referring to his taking part in the competition, “so I’m not in a suit and tie. I’m going to get wet and I’m going to get sweaty.”

The Daniel Rowing Centre is named in memory of Daniel Amichai, who was killed in a road accident in 1993 and was an amazing rower whose dream was to be in the Olympics.

His mother, Linda Shtriet, told Arutz Sheva, “I wanted to commemorate him with something that he loved, so I decided the best thing was to build something involving his sport, which is rowing.”

The Centre features academic rowing, rowing for handicapped persons as well as rowing for children. Next month, the Centre will send three paralympic athletes to the games in London.

Photos courtesy of the British Council