Approximately 400 children from the Sha’ar HaNegev community took part today in a festive Olympic Sports Day held at Alonim School in Sha’ar HaNegev, as part of the ongoing support and connection between the Olympic athletes and the Olympic Committee of Israel and the community since the events of October 7.
The children marked the completion of the first year of the Olympism Program, a collaboration between the Olympic Committee of Israel, the SSI Program – Sport for Social Impact of the Azrieli Foundation Israel, and the Olympic Excellence Foundation. The program is implemented at Alonim School in Sha’ar HaNegev and combines physical activity with Olympic and educational values. Throughout the year, students participated in regular judo and baseball activities twice a week, with the goal of strengthening self-confidence, teamwork, leadership, perseverance, and respect for others.
The special event was attended by Adi Bichman, CEO of the Olympic Committee of Israel, SSI Program founder Danny Hakim, and Olympic medalist Arik Ze’evi, who addressed the students and emphasized the power of sport in building both personal and community resilience.
During the event, the students took part in a variety of interactive sports stations led by leading athletes and coaches, including Yuval Freilich, Girma Amare, Ruthy Zindel-Ochman, Alon Azulay, Arie Klein, Shahar Kleiner, Uri Mizrahi, and Gal Hamrani.
The stations featured a wide range of sports, including fencing, judo, frisbee, athletics, baseball, archery, and goalball.
The Olympic Committee of Israel views sport as a powerful tool for connecting people and communities beyond achievements and competitions. Promoting social and values-based initiatives of this kind is part of its commitment to strengthening the values of equality, belonging, and inclusion, while giving every child the opportunity to grow, connect, and believe in themselves through sport.
