The senior football and basketball leagues in Israel have been approved to return to activity this weekend, but what about the other industries? Today (Thursday) it was announced that the handball Premier League will not be able to hold its return round tomorrow as planned. Despite the messages received over the past few days from the senior echelons of the sports and health ministries – who according to sources in the handball association ‘are making a huge effort to also approve the return of the senior handball leagues as they worked to bring back football and basketball’ – the answers this morning were that it would not happen this weekend.
From the Handball Association delivered: “We have chosen a way of dialogue out of understanding and messages that work to bring back all the major leagues in all the ball sports. Unfortunately, we get conflicting answers, that the Ministry of Sports wants, that the Ministry of Health does not approve, and we turn to the Ministry of Health – the message is that they will approve. “It will probably be approved to return only the football and basketball leagues, for men and women this weekend – and the Winner’s handball league will not be able to return tomorrow (the women’s league is scheduled to resume next week).”
“We welcome the return of football and basketball leagues, but in doing so government ministries are creating inequality, segregation and discrimination, giving these industries an unjustified advantage over others, following explanations, talks and promises over the past few months that will work for equality. “It’s time for justice and equality here as well.”
“Until when? It started with granting an economic safety net to certain industries over other industries, grants for the development of the Israeli player to only two industries (do we not develop players ?!), and continued with inequality between sports played in almost the same conditions, after the same government ministries “They sponsor handball as part of the national project, and when the Israeli teams expect significant challenges soon in the European Championship qualifiers, and in the World Under-21 Championship qualifiers – games to be held in Israel.”
“It’s inconceivable, it hurts the qualifications of players. It hurts the abilities of the clubs that invested despite the many difficulties to exist during this period. Clubs did not take players to the squad in the last closure on the understanding that the league will resume by the weekend. It completely disrupts the schedules so that the season can come to an end on time. “
“We are fighting here for the future of handball. The damage done last season and led to the cessation of activity took a heavy toll on us, and after we managed to get back on track – the activity stops again, and we promise to work to get us back immediately at the end of the closure. This is an inequality that cries out. “But handball (and other sports as well) is not a stepson and different. We demand an immediate return of the senior handball leagues for men and women!”