This impressive achievement highlights the tremendous potential in Israeli sports and brings honor to the nation!

Matan Iglitzki, a 22-year-old Israeli athlete, achieved a remarkable feat at the World Beach Sambo Championships held in the Dominican Republic. Iglitzki won the silver medal in the under-71 kg weight category, becoming the vice world champion in this discipline.

On his way to the medal, Iglitzki successfully competed against opponents from Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States. In the final match, he faced a Russian competitor, considered one of the world's leading figures in Sambo. Despite his great effort, Iglitzki lost this bout but managed to secure the respectable second place.

Sambo is a martial art originating in the Soviet Union, combining elements of wrestling and judo. In Beach Sambo, unlike traditional Sambo, bouts are exceptionally short, lasting only 20 to 30 seconds. Any scoring result awards the winner of the bout.

Shai Geisinger, the General Manager of the Israel Sambo Federation, expressed his joy about the achievement to Channel 5: "My heart is full of joy that we managed to participate in the competition despite the great distance, and I am filled with pride in Matan, who demonstrated exemplary fights and once again succeeded in ascending the winners' podium at the World Championships". Geisinger expressed his deep gratitude to the Eilat Association for its unwavering support throughout the journey.

Channel 5 was also informed that Arik Kaplan, President of the Eilat Association, added: "Even at the ends of the earth, Eilat's athletes continue to climb to the peak of achievements. Matan, you have brought great honor to our country, and we are confident that you will continue to do so in the future and at the 2025 World Games".

Matan Iglitzki himself responded to the achievement: "I am happy to finish the World Sambo Championships in second place and with the title of Vice World Champion for the third time in my life". He thanked his personal coach, Shai Geisinger, who has been with him since the age of 4, and the broader professional team that supported him, including national team coach Pavel Musin, fitness coach Asaf Sitbon, and Sergei Zhuravitsky and Andrey Zhuravitsky for their professional and personal support.

Iglitzki emphasized the importance of the support he received from the Eilat Association, an Israeli association for non-Olympic competitive sports, saying: "My goal was to place the flag as high as possible on Moroccan soil, and I'm proud that I succeeded in doing so".

The Israel Sambo Federation stated: "Matan Iglitzki, a champion in the arena! A champion in spirit!".

Matan Iglitzki reported to the "Maakav" system:

"The competition held last year took place in the Dominican Republic, where the order of contestants was as follows: Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, and Russia.

However, this year the competition was held in the Kingdom of Morocco, facing a hostile audience that continuously jeered, and the order of contestants was as follows: France, the Netherlands, Morocco, and Spain.

"The final match was against a rival from Spain, and to my great disappointment, I did not receive the score I rightfully deserved. I am certain that I emerged victorious from this match. It would have been fitting for the 'Hatikvah' anthem to be played in Morocco, likely for the first time in its history.

However, due to a shameful judging decision, victory was snatched away from me."

Iglitzki's impressive achievement serves as another bright spot in the landscape of Israeli international sports, highlighting the great potential inherent in sports that don't necessarily receive much media attention. His success demonstrates the great importance of investment and support for young and promising athletes, even in disciplines not included in the Olympic Games.

It can be stated with certainty that Matan Iglitzki's achievement at the World Beach Sambo Championships is a source of national pride and emphasizes the necessity of investing in competitive sports in all its varieties and layers. This is another significant step towards placing Israel on the world map in diverse and challenging sports disciplines.

Main photo: From Facebook page: Matan Iglitzki

הפוסט Matan Iglitzki: Vice World Champion in Beach Sambo הופיע לראשונה ב-מעקב.

The brilliant win, achieved in less than a minute, raised the Israeli flag high on the international sports stage and emphasized the strength of the Israeli spirit even in times of crisis.

In the bout against American fighter Aaron Phillips, the Israeli displayed total superiority that ended in a quick and impressive technical knockout (TKO) victory.

The fight, which barely lasted 60 seconds, quickly turned into a demonstration of power and precision by Smotritzky. Three accurate kicks to Phillips' body were enough to bring the American down. From there, Smotritzky left his opponent no chance to recover, finishing the job with a series of punches that forced the referee to stop the contest.

The moment of victory was accompanied by passionate chants of "Am Yisrael Chai" (The People of Israel Live) from the Israeli crowd present in the arena, a scene that illustrated the significance of the win far beyond the sporting achievement. For many, it was a moment of national elevation, an opportunity to celebrate Israeli success on an international stage while the country grapples with complex challenges.

Smotritzky: "I'm ready for the UFC. I'll break everyone until they understand that I'm the number one prospect outside the UFC."

MMA experts agree that Smotritzky once again proved his ability to compete at the highest levels. They note the precision, power, and efficiency he displayed in the brief fight, characteristics of top-tier fighters.

Smotritzky's victory joins a series of prominent Israeli achievements in international sports in recent years, strengthening Israel's position as a rising sports power in diverse fields. It is also an expression of national resilience and the recovery capacity of Israeli society, capable of drawing strength and demonstrating excellence even in challenging times.

While the road ahead is long, Shimon Smotritzky's victory serves as a living reminder that even in the most difficult moments, there is room for hope and pride. It symbolizes the indomitable spirit of Israel, insisting on moving forward, competing, and winning—in the sports arena as well as in other arenas of life.

הפוסט Israel Celebrates Impressive Victory in the Global MMA Arena הופיע לראשונה ב-מעקב.

On an ordinary day, Haim Gozali, an esteemed and experienced Israeli MMA fighter, experienced an extreme ordeal that could have ended in disaster. Gozali, along with his son Elad and coach Ben El Hassid, traveled to Ukraine (Kolomyia city) to participate in a fighting competition. However, during their stay at the hotel, the experience turned into a real nightmare when they were violently attacked with live gunfire directed at them. In a riveting interview, Gozali reenacts the terrifying moments and tells of the conduct of the local police, which seems like a delusion.

"They shot at us from point-blank range".

It all began as a routine journey to a boxing competition in Kolomyia, Ukraine. Gozali, his son Elad, and coach Ben El Hassid arrived at the hotel where they were staying for the scheduled fight. After a long journey through Romania, they were exhausted and decided to rest in their rooms. "We arrived at the hotel, completely exhausted. We checked in, and each of us went to our respective rooms to shower and get ready for sleep", Gozali recalled. "I hadn't even had a chance to get into the shower when suddenly an air raid siren went off".

The situation quickly deteriorated. "Elad and Ben El ran to my room; all three of us were trying to figure out what to do because no one had briefed us, so we just waited a minute", Gozali said. Suddenly, screams of terror were heard in the hallway. "When Haim opened the door, he was surprised to find Ben El grappling with an assailant in the hallway", he added. The scene turned Hollywood-esque when the assailant drew a firearm and opened fire. "He walks down three steps backward and pulls a gun out of a bag he had in his hand. Before I can even understand what's happening, I find myself running with Elad as the guy is shooting at us from almost point-blank range".

Hiding on the Hotel Roof in the Rain.

The situation was extremely dangerous. "Seriously, this guy pulled out a gun and shot at us. Ben El ran in one direction, and Elad and I ran in another", Gozali continued. "The only thing we could do was go out the window onto the connected roof and hide there by the window". They feared the assailant would search for them, so they chose to hide on the adjacent roof. "So that if he came out looking for us, at least we would have the element of surprise, and I could throw him off the roof. So we ran outside and hid on the roof".

Police Delusion – Not Investigated, No Police Car Called.

What shocked Gozali was the conduct of the local police after the incident. "What happened after that was simply a delusion", he recounted angrily. "All night, we sat on the roof without any cover, naked and waiting for help for hours in the rain. No one came". He claims that no police car was called to the scene, and they were not investigated for the serious incident.

"We tried to somehow contact the organizers of the competition, and finally, after many hours of waiting, a paramedic came to transfer us to another hotel", Gozali said. "They moved us to another place in the city, and that's how the whole night passed until we decided that was it, we were done with Ukraine and going home".

This severe incident shook public opinion in Israel. An attempted brutal murder of an Israeli citizen was almost not investigated by the Ukrainian police.

Such conduct raises serious questions about the enforcement capabilities of the authorities and the possibility of discrimination on ethnic grounds.

Security forces are supposed to protect every citizen and foreigner equally in the territory of the state, without prejudice. The lack of involvement in this severe case raises grave concerns about the proper functioning of law enforcement and governance in Ukraine.

Interestingly, if a Ukrainian citizen had experienced such treatment in Israel, what would Ukraine have said?

The Israeli Foreign Ministry is silent, and the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel is not responding.

The shocking incident raises a few fundamental questions: How could it be that in such a severe incident, the police were not called, and the local security forces did not act? Why have the Israeli and Ukrainian foreign ministries remained silent so far? Maariv also reached out to the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel but has yet to receive a response from them.

הפוסט They Almost Murdered Haim Gozali – Endless Drama in Ukraine הופיע לראשונה ב-מעקב.