As Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi Tel Aviv make their final preparations for their first matchup in the EuroLeague on Wednesday evening in Bulgaria, the teams took time to mark the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, a day on which Hamas murdered 1,200 people and took 251 hostages to Gaza.
The Sports Rabbi’s Itay Anidjar, who is in Belgrade covering the game, was at Hapoel’s training on Tuesday evening, where a minute’s silence was observed to mark the day.
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“While I’m here for basketball, it’s a sad moment, let’s hope for peace,” Hapoel coach Dimitrios Itoudis said. “We’re over here for basketball, but I said that it was a sad moment – very sad.”
“It’s a very sad day. What can I say? I think everyone has already said everything,” Israeli national team captain and star Hapoel forward Tomer Ginat said earlier this week. “What happened two years ago in our country is something we will always remember. So, of course, on a day like this, when we see the videos and recall the things that happened, it’s very hard, very painful. Again, every Israeli remembers where they were that morning.”
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“A very difficult day, truly a very sad one,” Maccabi coach Oded Katash said of October 7. “Today was really hard — even more than I expected this morning. We saw the stories and the reports. The thought that two years have passed and there are still people there. In the situation we’re in, it kind of puts things into perspective.”
“First of all, there’s a glimmer of hope that this thing is going to end soon,” Katash continued. “It’s time for all the hostages to come home. Enough, really — enough of this, it’s far too much already. And [they should return] as quickly as possible. Only then can we begin some kind of rehabilitation process that we all need to go through.”
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“Of course today is the 7th and it’s been two years since the country and a lot of families had their worlds turned upside down,” Maccabi captain John DiBartolomeo said. “I know today’s a holiday, it’s Succot, but it’s important that we remember and we acknowledge the hostages and their families and that we’re thinking of them always, but especially today on the second anniversary. Now we can get into basketball, but that’s first and foremost.”
“It was very sad for us as a country and as a society,” Maccabi star forward-center Roman Sorkin said. “With the light at the end of the tunnel that we’re starting to see, maybe things will get a little better. I hope it happens. My heart, and I’m sure all our hearts, is with the families of the hostages. We’re with them, and this is a very, very important day for us as a nation. It’s beyond basketball and beyond everything, our hearts are with everyone. May we see quieter days here and truly get back to focusing on basketball.”
The round 3 clash, taking place at Arena 8888 Sofia in Sofia, Bulgaria, due to the continuing Swords of Iron War, is scheduled to begin on Wednesday at 21:05 Israel time (14:05 Eastern).
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