Rivlin with paralympians
Rivlin with paralympiansMark Neiman (GPO)

President Reuven Rivlin today met current and former Paralympians, 50 years after the Summer Paralympic Games were held in Tel Aviv. The games were held in Israel in 1968 when the country offered to host the tournament instead of Mexico. Israel won 18 gold medals and placed third overall in the Tel Aviv Paralympics.

Chair of the Israel Paralympic Association Dr Shuki Dekel, CEO of the Israeli Olympic Committee Nissim Sasportas, head of the sports administration at the Ministry of Culture and Sport Ofer Bustan, 8-time Paralympics medallist Doron Sharizi and double gold European Championship medal-winner swimmer Ami Dadon also took part in the event.

The president began by saying, “I have to admit that I sometimes ask myself – how do you do it? How do you have the strength? But it seems that for you every step helps you take the next step. Every decision leads to the next. And each victory leads to the next.”

The president concluded by saying, “you are the Maccabees of our generation. Thank you for coming, and happy Hanukkah.”