Rani Belaga is one of the biggest names on Israel’s Under-20 National Team, which will begin its European Championship campaign tomorrow night (Saturday, 10:00 p.m.) against Romania in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The 20-year-old guard (1.97m), a graduate of Hapoel Emek Hefer’s youth academy, joined Hapoel Jerusalem in the summer of 2024 and has spent the past two seasons on loan with A.S. Ramat Hasharon of the Israeli National League.

Over the years, he has been a key figure for Israel’s youth national teams, and that will once again be the case as he serves as captain of the U20 squad at this year’s European Championship. Ahead of his final tournament with Israel’s youth national teams and his second with the U20s, Belaga sat down with The Sports Rabbi during the team’s media day at the new Hadar Yosef Arena to discuss everything under the sun.

“It’s very exciting,” Belaga opened. “It’s great to be here with the guys and the coaching staff. We want to represent our country with pride.”

Asked about the team’s goals, Belaga was clear, “We want to go as far as possible and maximize the potential of this roster.”

Belaga has enjoyed working with head coach Oren Aharoni thus far, “It’s been a pleasure. On a personal level, it’s my first time playing for him. Every day we come in, learn, improve, and it’s just great to be here.”

Alongside Belaga, the U20 team features other talented players such as Oren Sahar and Yaron Goldman. Asked how confident he is that this group can lead Israel to success, Belaga emphasized the importance of teamwork.

“I think in the end we’ll succeed or fail based on our chemistry. This isn’t going to be a one-man team or a two-man team. It will take a complete team effort to take us as far as possible.”

One player who will not be with the team is expected star Omer Mayer. Belaga acknowledged his absence, “Omer is an outstanding player. When he’s not here, every one of us has to give a little more. We have to find our balance again and everyone has to find their role so we can get the most out of this team even without him.”

Belaga is coming off an excellent season in the National League, averaging 11.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and an efficiency rating of 11.9 in 21.3 minutes per game. His best performance came in a home victory over Elitzur Yavne, when he posted 27 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and a 33 efficiency rating.

“First of all, it was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life, if not the most enjoyable. Amazing people, everyone smiling, happy, enjoying coming to practice, a great atmosphere. We worked hard, improved, had morning workouts and team practices. Of course, we competed, made the playoffs, and it was a really good season.”

Belaga also spoke about the support he received from Hapoel Jerusalem, where he appeared during the Winner Cup at the beginning of the season, “The connection started during preseason when I was with them for two months. During the season I stayed in close contact with Guy Gafni, who manages my development, Dan Shamir and Gal Mekel. Everyone has been very supportive, checking in on me and talking with me.”

During Jerusalem’s heated semifinal playoff series against Hapoel Tel Aviv, Belaga was called back to the senior team’s roster after several foreign players left Israel due to the Iranian missile attacks. Although he did not play, he was able to experience the series from the bench.

“I hadn’t played with the team during the season, but because I spent preseason with them, I knew the system, the concepts and the philosophy. I tried to be as ready as possible. In the end I didn’t play, but it was an incredible experience watching those players perform in that kind of environment and under that kind of pressure. I tried to learn from every moment.”

Belaga still doesn’t know where he will play next season, “I honestly don’t know yet. I’m trying not to think about it right now. I’m fully focused on this tournament and want to help us achieve the best result possible.”

Although Belaga hasn’t been in touch with Hapoel Jerusalem’s new head coach, Saša Obradović yet, he hopes to be able to take the next steps in his career, “I want to take the right steps in my career. I don’t know exactly what that means. Maybe it means being there next season, maybe it means playing somewhere else. Like I said, I’m not focused on that right now. I have good people around me and my agent and I know Hapoel Jerusalem’s staff will do what’s best for me. They won’t do anything that hurts my development. I trust them a lot, and I believe they’ll guide me in the right direction, so I’m not worried.”

Belaga’s close friend from Emek Hefer and Israel’s youth national teams, Ben Saraf, completed his rookie NBA season with the Brooklyn Nets. In one of the Nets’ social media videos, Saraf even gave Belaga a special shoutout. Asked about it, Belaga couldn’t hide his appreciation.

“It’s really special. Ben is an incredible player, but even more than that, he’s an incredible person. I love him very much, and we’re very close. I truly believe this is only the beginning. People haven’t seen anything yet, and he’s going to reach even greater heights.”

Belaga also spoke about the culture that continues to develop at Emek Hefer, “First of all, our age group is extremely close. We’re all still in touch, we meet up, hang out and every single one of them is a great person. As for Emek Hefer itself, it’s become an unbelievable club. The infrastructure there is incredible. I still spend some time around the gyms and I see the work that’s being done. From seventh grade through high school, players are working every morning. They invest so much in player development. There are incredibly talented players from Emek Hefer and from outside the area who come there to work, improve, and give themselves a chance to reach the highest level.”

Belaga also shared his thoughts on the growing trend of Israeli players heading to American colleges, “I’m in touch with a lot of guys who have already gone to college and others who are going next year. It’s amazing. It’s an incredible opportunity and I’m happy that this option has opened up. I think anyone who chooses that path can benefit tremendously, not only professionally, but also from the overall experience and financially. It’s a great opportunity and I wish everyone the best of luck.”

Will Belaga one day head to college or stay put in Israel is still unanswered, but for right now, his attention is solely focussed on one thing, the U20 European Championships as he looks to help the young blue-and-white to their first title since Deni Avdija helped Israel win back-to-back championships in 2018 and 2019.