Voice of Jewish Sport: Time to address a worrying trend

THERE’S NO doubt that over the past couple of seasons, more and more Jewish football cup ties are being forfeited for one reason or another. Highlighted by three of eight last-16 Cyril Anekstein Cup ties not being contested a couple of weeks ago, North London Raiders A manager Rob Richman now wants something to be done to reverse this worrying trend. While we’re all looking to try and come up with solutions – including the formation of a new committee – and while Richman himself admits he doesn’t have the answers, what he does say is pertinent and to the point: “What’s imperative is we find out why these teams are pulling out and help them so it won’t happen again in the future.”

WORLD BOXING champion Manny Pacquiao left his fighting gloves back in the Philippines when he paid a visit to Israel earlier this week. Saying how he was in his “favourite city” [of Jerusalem] to “promote peace and not fighting each other”. The ‘Pacman’, a devout Christian, has been a close supporter of Israel over recent years, and even named his first son Israel, the politician also showed why he packs a punch in one than one sense of the word when he told reporters how he responds to some of his fans who criticised his visit there. He said: “I explain it to them on Facebook that if we believe in G-d then we have love in our hearts because G-d is love.” And if all that wasn’t enough, the 36-year-old revealed: “I’m practicing Hebrew, and especially the prayers in Hebrew,” before he recited the Priestly Blessing said by the Kohanim.

WHILE NO ONE was expecting Maccabi Tel Aviv to reach the knock-out rounds of the Champions League, one would have hoped that after five games, they may have managed to have at amassed at least one point and scored more than one goal. Unfortunately, the only notable stats from the Israeli champions’ campaign will be that they have the worst record of all the teams in this season’s competition.