Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Israel Netball was invited to join netball teams from Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales and Gibraltar to participate in the European Netball Festival which took place in Dublin, Ireland from 6-8 June, 2008.

The lack of resources was made up for by the level of enthusiasm of the squad of 11 players, whose ages ranged from 17 to 46. The women trained hard for several months leading up to the tournament, and a number of fundraising events were held to recruit the necessary funds, among them a major raffle and cooking demonstrations.

Three days of intense activity – five games, training sessions and workshops – were rewarded with Israel Netball’s first international win! Israel beat Gibraltar 28-24 in a thrilling and close match. The excitement was overwhelming and there wasn't a single dry eye among the squad members.

Although Israel Netball lost its other four matches and came fifth in the tournament overall, there is no doubt that Israel Netball is closing the gap, as demonstrated in the game against Netball Ireland where Israel lost by only 8 goals.

As associate members of FENA, Israel Netball was invited to be present at the Council meetings and AGM which were held concurrently to the festival. With an eye to the future, Israel Netball was offered the opportunity to host a netball festival in Israel in 2014!