Sportsman & Sportswoman of the Tournament

The Israeli Bowling Federation yesterday awarded the Sportsman and Sportswoman Awards, named in memory of Greg Small and Yetty Bennett. This award is voted on by all competitors in the bowling competition.

The very deserving winners were Meryl Romeu from USA and Australia's Josh Small. It was a very emotional award ceremony, and both are fantastic people.

Masters Medals!!

Wow, what a day!!

Finally, success on the lanes in Israel, with a fantastic Gold Medal to Phil Sachs in the men's Masters competition.

In another spectacular effort, Lisa Benedykt won a Bronze Medal in the women's Masters.

The format of the Masters was vastly different to that of previous Maccabiah, with the top 24 men in the All Events and 14 women making it through to the Masters. The competition was then in the format of a head-to-head tennis tournament, where a player would be seeded and drawn to play someone at the other end of the seedings in a best-of-3 game match. The winner proceeded, and the loser eliminated.

In the women's, Lisa, Debbie Sachs and Jackie Vilensky won their first round matches, whilst Lena Sachs and Kerrie Schwartz lost. To see the results from this round, click here.

In the quarter finals, Debbie & Jackie both lost in the deciding third game, whilst Lisa continued on into the semi-finals. To view the results of the quarter finals, click here.

With Lisa Benedykt into the semi-finals, with three Israelis, she couldn't quite match it, but earned herself a much deserved Bronze Medal. Liat Vizenfeld went on to win the Gold Medal in the final. To view the semi-final results, click here. To view the results of the Masters final, click here.

In the men's Masters, Phil Sachs and Daniel Zalcman were the two Australian who had qualified in the top 24. With Phil qualifying in the top 8, he was given a bye in the first round, and Daniel won through to Round 2 in two games. The results of Round 1 can be viewed here.

Round 2 saw both Phil and Daniel win through to the Quarter Finals, but both had to pull out something special to win in three games. To view the results of Round 2, click here.

Phil went on to win his Quarter Final match in two games to proceed through to the Semi Finals, however Daniel lost in three games to one of the eventual finalists, Isaac Amkie from Mexico. To view the Quarter Final results, click here.

In the Semi Finals, Phil knocked over one of the tournament favourites, Or Aviram from Israel in three games to see his way through to the Gold Medal playoff. For the results of the Semi Finals, click here.

In a tense final, Phil Sachs went on to win the Gold Medal in two games. A tremendous effort! For the results of the final, click here.

All Events

The women's and men's All Events were finalised, with Shahaf from Israel winning the women's and Isi from Mexico winning his third Gold Medal.

Due to the number of entries, all of the Australian women will compete in the Masters event, whilst Phil Sachs and Daniel Zalcman will represent the Australian men. Phil performed extremely well to finish in the top 8 and earn a first round bye.

Unfortunately, Tony Aarons missed the top 24 by one place, whilst Josh Small and Matt Doobov were only a couple of spots further back.

The final standings (in PDF format) for the women's All Events can be found here.

The final standings (in PDF format) for the men's All Events can be found here.

Teams

After a brave fight by the Australian women, they were eventually overcome by a much more experienced Israeli lineup for the Gold Medal. It was a tremendous effort by Debbie, Lisa, Lena, Jackie & Kerrie, who led the teams competition into the fifth game.

The final results of the women's teams competition (in PDF format) can be found here.

The men's competition came down to the wire, with the Israeli team edging out the Mexicans by only 15 pins for the Gold Medal. Team USA performed very well to be a further 106 pins behind to win the Bronze Medal. Australia and Great Britain finished 4th and 5th respectively.

The final results of the men's teams competition (in PDF format) can be found here.

Photos of the medal presentations to follow.

Trios

Both the ladies & men's trios competitions ended in turmoil, with one of the Israeli teams in each competition being disqualified for changing their lineup during the tournament.

Whilst the men's placings were not affected, the disqualification of the second placed women's team, meant that the Australian trio of Debbie Sachs, Lena Sachs and Jackie Vilensky were elevated to the silver medal.

The men's competition was taken out by the number one Israeli team, with the USA second, and Mexico winning bronze. The best placed Australian team was Phil Sachs, Daniel Zalcman & Matt Doobov in fifth place.

The results of the women's trios (in PDF format) can be found here, whilst the updated women's All Events standings can be found here.

The results of the men's trios (in PDF format) can be found here, whilst the updated men's All Events standings can be found here.

Magen David Adom

As a coincidence, outside the bowling centre during the week, was a Magen David Adom vehicle that had been donated by families from Melbourne, including my cousin Nikki Silman!! Small world.

Men's Doubles

The men's doubles competition was a tight affair, with Isi Eskenazi and his father David from Mexico, taking out the gold. This was Isi's second gold after winning the singles.

The Israeli duo of Or Aviram and Aviv Alfital won the silver medal, with Matthew Halpern and Jim Lewis from USA taking out the bronze.

Phil Sachs and Tony Aarons were the best performed of the Australians, finishing in 8th spot. Phil's series of 1201 was the highest series bowled today.

For a full list of the men's doubles results (in PDF format), click here.

For an update of the men's All Events standings, click here.

Women's Doubles

The women's doubles were dominated by the Israelis today (Thursday), with Sarit Mizrahi and Liat Vizenfeld the eventual winners by only 28 pins.

Debbie & Lena Sachs performed well to finish fourth, with Debbie's score of 1151 the second highest series in the event.

The complete list of results (in PDF format) for the women's doubles can be found by clicking here.

The updated standings in the women's All Events can be found by clicking here.

Women's Singles

The women's singles came down to the wire during the last game, with the Israelis taking out the trifecta. Debbie Sachs was fighting for a medal with two or three frames to go in the last game, but was overrun by Roni Ahronovitch from Israel who bowled a 258 last game. Debbie finished a fantastic fourth.

The other Australians finished 7th (Lena Sachs), 8th (Lisa Benedykt), 12th (Jackie Vilensky), and 14th (Kerrie Schwartz).

The complete list of results (in PDF format) for the women's singles can be found by clicking here.

Men's Singles

The men's singles competition was won by Isi Eskenazi from Mexico, with Or Aviram (Israel) finishing second, and Yahav Rabin (Israel) winning the bronze medal.

Tony Aarons finished top of the Australians in 12th position, with Phil Sachs 13th, Daniel Zalcman 17th, Josh Small 23rd, Joel Ninyo 32nd and Matthew Doobov 34th.

The complete list of results (in PDF format) for the men's singles can be found by clicking here.

Official Practice

Yesterday we had our official practice session, and Tenpin Bowling Opening Ceremony at the National Bowling Centre.

We had 10 minutes bowling on every lane in the centre. We all had a great session, and look forward to the Singles competition today (Wednesday).

After practice, there was an Opening Ceremony for the Tenpin Bowling competition.

We will be shortly heading to the site of the 1997 Bridge Tragedy, as it is the 12th anniversary.

Opening Ceremony

After more than a week in Israel, the big day of the Opening Ceremony was finally upon us on Monday.

Unfortunately, the long wait continued once we arrived at Ramat Gan stadium. The bus picked us up from our hotel in Netanya at 3.30pm, and we then had to sit in the marshalling area outside the Ramat Gan stadium for 4.5 hours.

The Ceremony started at 8.30pm and within around half an hour, we marched in. The Aussie Supporters Group were up in the grandstand immediately to our right and stood up and cheered as we entered.

Josh Small was asked to say a Yizkor prayer in Hebrew in memory of his Dad, the other Australians who died in 1997, and the Israeli Olympians who died in Munich. Tony and I accompanied him on the main stage in front of tens of thousands of people. He did a fantastic job.

In the waiting room before we went up on stage, we met Jason Lezak, the American Olympic swimmer who was to light the Games torch. It was great to meet him, and chat about his experiences.

Once the formalities and entertainment was completed, the uniform trading was in full swing. Aussie shirts & caps were traded with Argentinians, Mexicans, Russians, Brazilians, etc.

All of us had a great time, particularly those who participated in their first Opening Ceremony.

Maccabiah Welcome Party

Last night, all competitors from all sports, from all countries met at the Kfar Maccabiah (the home of Maccabi) for a Welcome Party.

There was food, drink (non-alcoholic of course) and a number of stages setup with entertainment.

Past experience told me that this was a perfect opportunity to swap t-shirts, caps, etc with countries who aren't staying in our accommodation centre. I picked up a South African shirt, and an Argentinian shirt & cap (see photo).

Practice Session

Things are starting to intensify, as we held one of our last unofficial practice sessions. We were joined by teams from USA, Canada & Venezuela on the lanes today.

Confidence is high within the team, punctuated by 12 strikes in a row (over 2 games) by Matt Doobov!

Tough Night

After coming back from our dinner in the Netanya square, it was apparent that something wasn't quite right. The foyer of the hotel was very warm. At that stage we weren't to know that the hotel's air-conditioning system had packed it in for the night.

All rooms throughout the hotel went through the night without air-conditioning. Many people (myself included) struggled to get much sleep in temperatures around the 25c mark.

Thankfully, upon our return from practice this morning, it was nice and cool again!

Dinner in Netanya

Disappointed with the meals dished up in the hotel (already!), all of the bowlers ventured down to the Netanya Square and over-ran a local restaurant on Saturday night.

The staff were fantastic, considering the size of the dining party, and it appears all had a great time.

The serves were enormous, most of which couldn't be finished. The restaurant followed it up with free desserts!

Team Photo in Jerusalem

As promised, here is the team photo in front of the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Thanks Joel!

15th Maccabiah Bridge Memorial

Yesterday morning, we checked out of the Australian team hotel, and made our way to the site of the 15th Maccabiah Bridge Tragedy.

We travelled with Josh Small as part of our team, and met up with his Mum, Suzanne and his sister, Rebecca. Their husband and father, Greg Small, was one of my team-mates in 1997 and his life was cut short by the terrible bridge collapse.

A moving service was held to remember the four team-mates who lost their lives in 1997 - Greg Small, Yetty Bennett, Elizabeth Sawicki & Warren Zines.

Josh made a wonderful speech, remembering Greg and vowing to continue his dream of competing at this year's Maccabiah Games.

Australian Team Party

On Thursday night, a huge Australian team party was held around the pool at our team hotel.

A typical Aussie barbecue was served, with plenty of beer and a great band and DJ.

Trip to Jerusalem

Thursday afternoon, the entire Australian delegation travelled to Jerusalem. We started with a visit to the Western Wall in the Old City

This was followed by a moving tour of the Holocaust museum, Yad Vashem.

We took a bowling team photo at the Western Wall, and I will post the photo once I receive it.

Our First Training Session

This morning, we made our way to the National Bowling Centre in Netanya, for the first of our unofficial training sessions.

With all members of the team, aside from Phil Sachs, now in Israel, it was a great opportunity to get accustomed with a new centre and new lane conditions. Whilst we were still a little tired and jet-lagged, it was great to loosen up and blow off the cobwebs.

Josh Small and I on the bus to Netanya

We Have Arrived in Israel

After flights from Melbourne to Sydney to Bangkok to Tel Aviv, we finally arrived. The total time taken was 25 hours which included stopovers.

We were met at the airport by Australian team management, and then transferred by bus to our hotel by the beach in Tel Aviv. After a couple of hours wait for our room to be ready, we moved in thankful for a refreshing shower.

A few hours sitting in the sun by the pool was followed by a team meeting and a sumptuous dinner. An early night beckoned for most after a long trip!

Maccabiah Tenpin Bowling - from a Team USA perspective

Following on from his enormously successful blog at the 17th Maccabiah in 2005, Matthew Halpern will be detailing his experiences at this year's Maccabiah.

Visit http://maccabiah18.blogspot.com for a Team USA perspective.

Our bowling shirts have arrived!

Our fantastic new Australian team bowling shirts arrived today!

Whilst I'd love to show you a photo of them, we have a policy not to unveil them before competition begins in Israel.

I'll make sure the photos are posted once we begin bowling.

Thanks to our shirt sponsors, Doobov Dental Laboratory & Tenpin City.

Maccabiah on TV......sort of

We have been notified by the Australian Team Media Department that the Maccabiah Games will be shown live on "Jewish Life TV".

Whilst this is not accessible in Australia, you can check out streaming video of the Maccabiah Games via their website http://www.jewishlifetv.com. You will need to install some free video player software which is available on the site.

NSW Government Team Farewell

(l-r) Josh Small, Matt Doobov, Joel Ninyo


Jackie Vilensky, Myer Zamek

Photos from the NSW Government Team Farewell.

Josh Small - Fulfilling A Dream

Check out a great interview with Josh Small, discussing his dream to win a Gold Medal and dedicate it to his dad Greg. Greg was a team-mate of mine at the 1997 Maccabiah, who lost his life at the tragic bridge collapse before the Opening Ceremony. Greg, along with Yetty Bennett, Warren Zines and Elizabeth Sawicki will always be remembered.

Greg has a special place in my heart, and it means the world to me to be able to march into this year's Opening Ceremony with his son Josh.

Here is the link to the interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gsaRpZuzro&feature=channel_page

Victorian Government Team Farewell

This evening, the Victorian contingent of the Australian Maccabiah team were hosted by the State Government of Victoria at the MCG for a Team Farewell.

The Premier of Victoria, John Brumby, as well as the Minister for Sport, James Merlino, both wished the team well for the Games.

Team Update Meeting

On Thursday night, we had a team update meeting for the Victorian contingent of the Australian Maccabiah team. We found out which hotel we'll be staying in, what the plans are for the pre-camp, security updates, etc.

We were to collect our uniforms as well, but they had not been delivered in time. We picked them up last night instead.

Only 22 days before we leave!

Pictured (l-r): Tony Aarons, Lisa Benedykt, Daniel Zalcman.

47 Days Before We Leave

We are less than 7 weeks away from leaving for Israel!!

It will be a very busy time leading up to our departure, with both the Victorian & NSW Governments hosting farewell functions at the respective Government Houses, as well as synagogue services in Melbourne, Sydney & Perth.

We also have team meetings & uniform distribution nights.

Training Weekend in Sydney

Last Easter weekend, the three Melbourne members of the Australian Maccabiah Tenpin Bowling team (namely myself, Tony Aarons & Lisa Benedykt), travelled up to Sydney for a couple of days training.

For those unaware, the whole team comprises:
Women - Lisa Benedykt, Debbie Sachs (captain), Lena Sachs, Kerri Schwartz, Jackie Vilensky.
Men - Tony Aarons, Matthew Doobov, Joel Ninyo, Phil Sachs (captain), Josh Small, Daniel Zalcman.
Our team manager is Myer Zamek.

After quite a few issues at Melbourne Airport on Good Friday morning, we arrived in Sydney a little late, and went straight to Tenpin City in Lidcombe for our afternoon training session.

Phil & Debbie Sachs were kind enough to open up their home that evening for a great barbeque and team bonding session.

We backed up on Saturday morning for another training session at Lidcombe, before it was time for the southerners to head home.

A great start to what shapes to be a great team heading to Israel in July.