End of year Jewish sport shorts
SWIMMING
Melbourne hosts world short course championships
Two Israelis competed in this week’s 2022 Short Course Swimming World Championships in Melbourne, plus a Jewish swimmer representing Gibraltar, whose uncle lives in Melbourne.
Matt Savitz, 23, was born in London, but moved to Gibraltar with his family when he was 11.
At the short course worlds, he came first in his heat in the men’s 100 free in a time of 53.37 seconds, and 69th overall.
He also came 42nd overall in the men’s 200 free (1:54.02 seconds).
Israeli Olympian Yaakov Toumarkin came 13th overall in the men’s 200 backstroke (1:53.03), 14th in the 100 IM, and 16th in the 200 IM.
His compatriot, Miron Haruti, competed in four events, with his best placing being 18th overall in the men’s 50 free (21.33).
FUTSAL
Big finals finale in NSW Premier League
The first NSW Futsal Premier League season since 2019 reached an exciting climax last weekend.
In the open men’s semis, Hakoah – with Jewish players Robbie Ezekiel, Gilad Swartz, Josh Shubitz, Noah Feilich, and Jake Lees – scored first, but lost 1-3 against an Inner West team featuring Jonathan Barzel, while a Mascot Vipers team that included Ethan De Melo edged UTS Northside 3-2.
In a goal-packed grand final, Barzel scored a hat-trick in a dramatic 10-6 victory to Inner West.
In U19 men’s action, Hakoah finished third when losing to eventual champions Campbelltown City Quake in a penalty shootout.
Hakoah’s women’s side, featuring Toni Sharp, also lost their semi in a penalty shootout, to UTS Northside, who then won the grand final.
In juniors, Leo Latter’s (pictured) Mascot Vipers team – coached by De Melo – won the U16 boys’ decider 4-2 over Mountain Majik.
Gemma Odes’ Mascot side were runners-up in the U15 girls’; second place was also secured by a Hakoah U14 boys’ team that included Jay Maltz and Dean Woolf; and a Mascot U12 boys’ squad with five Jewish players – including identical twins Ben and Jacob Zaidel – bowed out in the semis.
In a challenging season overall for Hakoah, the club narrowly avoided relegation, so can look forward to more Premier League action next year.
MEN’S CRICKET (Melbourne)
Year ends with wins for Maccabi-AJAX teams
Maccabi-AJAX Cricket Club’s four men’s teams all won in the last round of the Mercantile Cricket Association season before the end-of-year-break.
Benji Jones smashed 80 not out, and Zak Fleisher 81, in a 161-run win over the Melbourne Ramblers in Sunday A grade, in which Nick Gross took 3/9.
Gilad Lowinger made an unbeaten 50 in a six-wicket B south-east grade win over Clayton.
A 12-run win was earned over Parkville in C grade, and a nail-biting three-run T20 win in C south grade against South Yarra.
AUSSIE RULES FOOTY (Melbourne)
Vale Lionel Rosenberg
AJAX Footy Club members are fondly remembering club legend Lionel Rosenberg, who passed away recently.
Rosenberg was a life member, AJAX’s first club captain in 1957, and coached the club’s first senior team to a premiership win in 1966.
“There were no limitations on his love and loyalty to the AJAX Footy Club,” club stalwart Jack Chrapot said.
ATHLETICS (Melbourne)
Emma’s great finish
2022 Maccabiah Games junior 800m and 1500m champion Emma de Jong completed a brilliant year in the Zapotek Championship at Lakeside on December 15, clocking 9:51.35
to place sixth in the U20 women’s 3km race.
TENPIN BOWLING (Sydney)
Close finish to competition
Congratulations to Maccabi NSW Tenpin Bowling Club 2022 season two winners Mean Machine (Myer Zamek and Mark Katz) who reached 101 points, four points ahead of runners-up Swannies (Justin Kennedy and Brian Doobov), and a further point ahead of Too Hot to Handle (Howard Baram and Ronnie Lang).
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