EUSA Year Magazine 2023-2024

(eusaunisport) #1

FRIENDSHIP GAMES 2023


EILAT, ISRAEL


JUNE 22-28, 2023


The Friendship Games is an international basketball tournament that takes


place annually in Israel and brings together teams from all over the world,


with an emphasis on countries that have ongoing conflict between them.


The 16th annual Friendship
Games took place in Eilat, a Red
Sea resort, from June 22nd to
28 th, 2023, hosted by Tel Aviv
University Sports Club and ASA
Israel, under the patronage of
EUSA and the International
University Sports Federation
(FISU).


The mission of the Friendship
Games is to create friendship
in the Middle East and other
countries, using Sport as the
main tool and a bridge to
make that connection between
people and young students.
The core of the event is the
power of sport to provide the
basis of encounters, friendships
and practicing sport between


students coming from diverse
countries, cultures, religions and
backgrounds.

In 2023, the Friendship Games
were attended by 9 teams,
in both men and women
categories, with students from
Bulgaria, Lithuania, Ukraine,
Palestine and Israel, including
Israeli Arabs and Jews.

Besides the competition in
Basketball, there were also
competitions in 3x3, 3-point
competition and slum dunk
competition. The mixed
competitions created a good
connection between all the
participants and helped to break
the ice.

The final game for the women’s
teams was played between a
team from Israel and Lithuania,
where the win was conquered
by the Israeli team.

In the men’s final match, the
victory was also celebrated by
Israel, after a great, exciting
match played against the team
from Bulgaria.

The Friendship Games were
not just about the competition,
since all participants also had
the chance to enjoy cultural
events, as well as sailing on the
Red Sea.

One of the highlights of the
event and for the organizer,

it was the fact that previous
participants and student-
athletes, came to act as
volunteers and to support the
event in every way possible.

At the end of the event, the goal
and mission were filfilled, with
many friendships formed, new
cultures exchanged, and new
memories created.

74 / 75


PLEASE SEE
http://www.fb.com/the.friendship.
games
for more information
Free download pdf