Maccabi Australia, NSW and VIC award winners
Jewish sport was the winner when the recipients of the Maccabi Australia, NSW and Victoria Awards were named last week.
FOX WINS TOP AWARD FOR FIFTH TIME
SHE is still only 23, but after another stellar international season on the rapids, two-time Olympic canoe slalom medallist, NSW’s Jessica Fox, was named Maccabi Australia’s Outstanding Jewish Sportswoman last Sunday for the fifth straight year, while veteran Western Australian-based cricketer Michael Klinger won the top men’s award for the third year in a row.
Fox won gold in the women’s K1 (single kayak) at the 2017 World Championships in France last October – her 11th world title win in K1 or C1 (single canoe) in 14 appearances.
She also won the 2017 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup Series in the women’s C1, was World Cup Series runner-up in the women’s K1, and won both women’s K1 and C1 Australian National Championships.
Unable to attend the awards ceremony due to it clashing with the 21st birthday party of her sister, fellow canoe slalom competitor Noemie, Fox told The AJN on Monday “I’m always very grateful for the support and recognition from the [Jewish] community – thank you Maccabi.”
Klinger, who recently retired from first class cricket, was recognised for being a big contributor to the Perth Scorchers’ 2016-17 Big Bash League title win and for helping WA win the 2017 domestic one-day cricket competition.
Other national winners included Victorian gymnast Alexandra Kiroi-Bogatyreva (Junior Sportswoman), Sydney karate athlete Yonatan Freund (Junior Sportsman), NSW lawn bowler Iris Kampel (Masters Sportswoman), Victorian swimmer Barry Carp and fellow Melburnian hockey player Norman Same (Masters Sportsmen), and Victorian Paralympic table tennis player Barak Mizrachi.
The Maccabi Australia President’s Award winner will be announced next week.
SHANE DESIATNIK
‘MACCABI MUMS’ RECOGNISED AS NSW TEAM OF THE YEAR
WITH 43 children between them, the “Maccabi Mums” – otherwise known as Maccabi Hakoah Football Club’s women’s all ages division four side – lit up the 2017 Maccabi NSW Sports Awards held in Double Bay’s Cosmopolitan Centre last Sunday, receiving a huge round of applause when named the Maccabi NSW Team of the Year.
The squad, which battled to fit in the time to train once per week before each Sunday’s match, limped into the Eastern Suburbs Football Association’s 2017 finals series in fourth place, but ended up overcoming heavy favourites Maroubra United 2-1 in a thrilling grand final.
Proud captain Denise Wright told The AJN, “This is great recognition for our girls – we’re a team that juggles parenting, work commitments, training – we’re passionate about playing football and we’ve been trying to win this competition for years.
“We definitely were the grand final underdogs last season, but this team has plenty of heart, so to achieve a [title] win was just amazing.”
Dalia Bloom, who was the team’s top goalscorer (31), said, “We are one big family and everyone has each other’s back.”
Lloyd Millett, who coached the team with Daniel Butterick, said, “They are so deserving.
“Maroubra had not been defeated, but this group of women stayed so strong, both on and off the field – they never gave up.”
Other highlights of the night included Iris Kampel winning the Maccabi Masters Sportswoman, NSW Jewish Masters Sportswoman and Maccabi Australia Jewish Masters Sportswoman of the Year awards trifecta.
In 2017, Kampel – who plays for Maccabi and Double Bay, was champion in club pairs, district pairs, triples and senior fours, regional senior fours, state senior fours and she was nominated for Women’s Bowls NSW Senior Bowler of the Year.
“This is very special, because the last time I won the Phyllis Glasser Award (for Jewish Masters Sportswoman) was in 1998 and ’99, and it was presented to me back then by Phyllis herself,” Kampel said.
Tennis player Lara Kaplan, 15, who is ranked 3rd in NSW and 10th in Australia for her age, won her second straight Maccabi (club) Junior Sportswoman award.
David Horwitz – who joined the Melbourne Rebels Super Rugby team after playing 27 games for the NSW Waratahs – claiming the Jewish Open Sportsman award, which he last won two years ago.
Teenage swimmer and former Hong Kong resident Ariella Levy won the Maccabi (club) Junior Sportswoman award for the first time.
2017 highlights for her included being the best performing Open Women’s swimmer for Australia at the Maccabiah Games, and placing fourth in the 17-18 girls’ 100m and 200m breaststroke finals at the NSW State Age Long Course Championships.
Karate athlete Yonatan Freund, 15, was also a first-time winner of Junior Sportsman awards at Maccabi NSW and Australia level, in recognition of his gold medal performances at the NSW State Championships, NSW Cup, and for representing Australia in the 2017 Karate Junior World Cup in the male cadet kumite -70kg division, finishing in the top 16.
“It’s really cool to be acknowledged like this – I never thought I’d be up there, let alone win,” Freund said.
MACCABI NSW SPORTS AWARD WINNERS: CLUBS CATEGORY
Maccabi Junior Sportsman: Zac Sapsford (futsal)
Maccabi Junior Sportswoman: Lara Kaplan (tennis)
Maccabi Open Sportsman: Not awarded this year
Maccabi Open Sportswoman: Ariella Levy (swimming)
Maccabi Masters Sportsman: Brian May (swimming)
Maccabi Masters Sportswoman: Iris Kampel (lawn bowls)
Maccabi Club Administrator (Louis Platus Trophy): Sharonne Antonir
Maccabi NSW Leadership Award: Michael Puterflam
Maccabi Team of the Year (Tom York Award): Maccabi All Ages Women’s Division 4 squad (football)
Maccabi Club of the Year (The AJN Award): Maccabi Social Mixed Netball
NSW JEWISH SPORTS CATEGORY
Junior Sportsman (Noham Opit Award): Yonatan Freund (karate)
Junior Sportswoman (Leo Kellerman Trophy): Amelie Trope (athletics)
Open Sportsman (Lou Rose Trophy): David Horwitz (rugby)
Open Sportswoman (Mick Brandon Trophy): Jessica Fox (canoe slalom)
Masters Sportsman (Percy Weinstein Memorial Trophy): Brian May (swimming)
Masters Sportswoman (Phyllis Glasser Award): Iris Kampel (lawn bowls)
Administrator (NSW Jewish Board of Deputies Award): Debbie Rutstein (Maccabi NSW)
SHANE DESIATNIK
MACCABI VICTORIA HONOURS ITS BEST
Outstanding Maccabi Junior Sportsman and Jewish Junior Sportsman: Marc Fridman (snooker)
Fridman’s tireless hard work and determination paid off in spades in 2017. His achievements included Victorian selection for the annual shield match against Tasmania, winning the Vic U18 state snooker and billiards title, the B Maccabi pennant grand final, selection for Australia in the annual test match against New Zealand, the Australian U18 billiards title and entry to the 2018 World Championships.
Outstanding Maccabi Junior Sportswoman and Maccabi Victoria Rising Star: Ashley Weil (Swimming)
The impressive teenager represented her club in state and national short and long course swimming competitions in 2017 and medaled at the Vic state championships. At last year’s Maccabiah Games, Weil won a swag of medals across multiple swimming events, including silver in the open water swim. She is also the 2017 Victorian state junior champion in 5km open water swim.
Outstanding Maccabi Sportsman and Jewish Sportsman: Barak Mizrachi (table tennis)
The 29-year-old competed at the 2016 Paralympic Games and earned selection to the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. The four-time Maccabiah Games veteran won a bronze medal in last year’s games in the 6-10 class. At state level he is the current Victorian Para champion (class 6-10), at national level in 2017 he was the Australian Para runner up (class 8) and also won bronze in the open standing event.
Outstanding Maccabi Sportswoman and Jewish Sportswoman: Jemima Montag (athletics)
2017 was full of success and positive experiences for this young racewalking sensation, who was chosen as the Australian team’s flag bearer at the 2017 Maccabiah Games, before winning a silver medal in the 10km event. At the tender age of 20, Montag will make her Commonwealth Games debut in April after qualifying last month at the 2018 Australian 20km Racewalking and Oceania Championships.
Outstanding Maccabi Masters Sportsman: Zac Ashkanasy (athletics)
A long-standing member of the Maccabi movement, Ashkanasay has previously sat on the Maccabi Victoria board and as a competing member of the athletics club has over 35 years of track and field experience. In recent times, his focus has shifted to cross-country and road running which has yielded more success.
Outstanding Jewish Junior Sportswoman: Alexandra Kiroi-Bogatyreva (rhythmic gymnastics)
This prodigiously talented teenager’s star rose to meteoric heights in the past 12 months, culminating in selection for the Commonwealth Games. In 2017 she competed in six international tournaments, including world class events run by the International Gymnastics Federation. Her Australian championship performance brought her two gold, one silver and two bronze medals. At domestic level she produced a clean sweep at the Prahran Invitational Tournament, claiming five gold medals as a junior international.
Outstanding Masters Sportsman: Barry Carp (swimming) and Norman Same (hockey)
Carp, a former national swimmer at age 15, returned to the pool competitively after a 30-year hiatus. He quickly found his rhythm and became the fastest 50-year-old in Australia in many of his events. Carp won multiple state titles, both long and short course in 2017 and broke four individual age state records. Same was selected in the Australian Over 60’s hockey team that will represent Australia in the World Cup in 2018.
Outstanding Jewish All Abilities Sportsperson: Ori Drabkin (athletics)
This remarkable 12-year-old was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was three. In 2015 he started competing in track and field and cross country as part of school sport and then joined Maccabi athletics the following year. A dream which he is on track to achieve at this pace is to represent Australia at a Paralympic Games.
Other award winners:
Outstanding Maccabi Team of the Year: Ajax Junior Football Club U11 Division 1 team
Maccabi Club of the Year: Maccabi Hockey Club U 16 Team
Maccabi Club Administrator: Clive Aaron (swimming)
Outstanding Maccabi Coach: Robbie Gore (hockey)
AARON FETTER
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