Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev with the Israeli athletes who had won medals in the recently concluded European Judo Championships.
Sagi Muki, Gefen Primo, Peter Paltzik, Israel Judo Union Chairman Moshe Ponte and coaches Oren Samadja and Shani Hershko participated in the meeting.
"You are champions. It's amazing. What an honor. What joy. We're a cyber power, a water superpower, and now a sports power," said Netanyahu. "Judo has become a branch of pride.
The State of Israel proved that it is a judo powerhouse thanks to coaches like Moshe Ponte, Shani Hershko and Oren Samadja, the fantastic competitors we have here, and the sports ministry which assists them. I am happy to help with everything because I think you bring a lot of pride and respect to the State of Israel. Good job," said the premier.
Minister Regev added that" the State of Israel is the country that invests the least budgets in sports from all the countries that are parallel to us in Europe and in the world ... We really are turning the lemon into lemonade ... I want to tell you that I am happy with you, and that I am proud of you."
This was the first year that Israel had hosted the Senior European Championships, a significant milestone in honor of the country’s 70th anniversary. The prestigious 3-day Championship event, held in the brand-new Tel Aviv Convention Center, united 400 athletes from 50 countries, and a group of 10 young judokas with special needs. The tournaments, which integrated the young athletes into the event, began on Thursday, April 26, and ended Saturday, April 28.