The Israel national handball team represents the Israeli Handball in the different international competitions such as the World Handball Championship that are held every two years. The team is managed by the Israeli Handball Association, and is built by players from the Israeli Handball League and handball leagues in Europe.
Competitive record
European Championships
Best achievement
The team's biggest achievement was a performance in the European Handball Championship that was held in Sweden in 2002, where it didn't manage to go through the first group stage. In the qualifying playoff games the Israel beat the Republic of Macedonia
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Israel's coach in the Championship was Shlomo Hoffman, and its leading players were Idan Maimon, Vladimir Zaikman, Leonid Durashenko, Dudi Balsar and Dovi Yeshua.
Ever since the historic participation at the 2002 championship, the team hasn't managed to pass the preliminary round of qualifications.
Previous Campaigns
World 2007 Qualifiers
In the winter of 2006 the team had failed to qualify to the 2007 world championship after finishing third at the qualifications – behind Austria and Finland.
Euro 2008 Qualifiers
In the winter of 2007 Israel again failed to qualify, this time to the 2008 European Championships. Despite an impressive home win 30:29 against the very strong team of Serbia, Israel lost twice to Macedonia, and finished again finished third, behind Serbia and Republic of Mecedonia and ahead of Luxembourg.
Date | Opponent | H/A | Venue | Spectators | Result | H.T | Top scorer |
4 January 2007 | Serbia | Away | Belgrad | 2,000 | Lost – 37:27 | 16:11 | Tom Matalon, Avishay Smoler (6) |
6 January 2007 | Serbia | Home | Raanana | 2,000 | Win – 30:29 | 16:12 | Gal Avraham (7) |
10 January 2007 | Mecedonia | Home | Raanana | 2,000 | Lost – 28:30 | 15:19 | Idan Maimon (7) |
13 January 2007 | Mecedonia | Away | Scopia | 1,500 | Lost – 27:26 | 12:10 | Gal Avraham, Avishay Smoler (5) |
17 January 2007 | Luxembourg | Away | Luxembourg | 500 | Win – 25:26 | 11:13 | Idan Maimon |
21 January 2007 | Luxembourg | Home | Raanana | 500 | Win – 35:26 | 17:10 | Idan Maimon (9) |
World 2009 Qualifiers
In the following winter Israel met Serbian again, at the 2009 World Championships Qualifying. This time it lost both games to Serbia, and finished second (out of three) after beating The Faroe Islands at both games.
Date | Opponent | H/A | Venue | Spectators | Result | H.T | Top scorer |
9 January 2008 | Faroe Islands | Away | Torshaven | 800 | Win – 21:26 | 8:15 | Avishay Smoler (6) |
12 January 2008 | Faroe Islands | Home | Raanana | 1,000 | Win – 31:21 | 17:11 | Gal Avraham (6) |
16 January 2008 | Serbia | Home | Raanana | 1,600 | Lost – 31:34 | 15:17 | Avishay Smoler (10) |
19 January 2008 | Serbia | Away | Belgrad | 2,000 | Lost – 44:36 | 20:15 | Avishay Smoler, Chen Pomeranz (10) |
Euro 2010 Qualifiers
In the 2010 European Championships Qualifying, held in 2008 and 2009, Israel was drawn into group 5, together with the world champions, Germany, Slovenia, Belarus and Bulgaria.
Israel lost both games to Slovenia, Belarus and Germany, and only won both games against Bulgaria.
The team's captain was Idan Maimon, and its leading players were Avishay Smoler of German team TBV Lemgo, Chen Pomerantz, Tom Matalon, Gal Avraham and Goalkeeper Leonid Durashenko.
Date | Opponent | H/A | Venue | Spectators | Result | H.T | Top scorer |
29 October 2008 | Slovenia | Home | Rishon LeZion | 800 | Lost – 28:36 | 16:21 | Avishay Smoler (10) |
2 November 2008 | Bulgaria | Away | Blagoevgrad | 400 | Won – 28:34 | 15–20 | Avishay Smoler (9) |
26 November 2008 | Belarus | Away | Berst | 3,700 | Lost – 38:31 | 21:14 | Gal Avraham (7) |
29 November 2008 | Belarus | Home | Rishon LeZion | 1,000 | Lost – 28:31 | 11:19 | Tom Matalon (6) |
18 March 2009 | Bulgaria | Home | Kiryat Motzkin | 900 | Won – 29:20 | 16:10 | Chen Pomernz (6), Avishay Smoler (6) |
22 March 2009 | Germany | Away | Ashafenburg | 4,500 | Lost – 24:36 | 15:17 | Gal Avraham (12) |
17 June 2009 | Slovenia | Away | Ljubljana | 3,000 | Lost – 27:40 | 17:20 | Chen Pomeranz (6) |
21 June 2009 | Germany | Home | Rishon LeZion | 1,000 | Lost – 40:21 | 17:12 | Chen Pomeranz (6) |
Team |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts |
Germany |
8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 300 | 191 | +109 | 16 |
Slovenia |
8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 293 | 221 | +72 | 12 |
Belarus |
8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 253 | 233 | +20 | 8 |
Israel |
8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 222 | 269 | −47 | 4 |
Bulgaria |
8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 168 | 322 | −154 | 0 |
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Staff
In the 2008 summer coach Shlomo Hoffman left his job after many years, and his successor was his assistant, Gilad Maor, also coaches Maccabi Rishon Le Zion. The assistant coach is Amitay Dayan, And the Manager is Benny Marko.
On May 2009, Due to internal politics in the Israeli Handball Association, and against the decision made by its professional committee (twice), Shlomo Hoffman was reanounced as the coach.
Squad
No. | Name | Position | Club | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Caps | Goals | Caps | Goals |
2 | Ofer Luzon | Line Player | Maccabi Rishon Le Zion | 27 November 1984 | 1.85 | 80 | 39 | 27 | 5 | 6 |
3 | Yoav Neeman | Right Wing | Maccabi Rishon Le Zion | 5 January 1980 | 1.85 | 80 | 66 | 161 | 6 | 17 |
4 | Shir Tuerl | Left Wing | ASA Tel Aviv | 24 June 1985 | 1.80 | 80 | 14 | 15 | 8 | 6 |
5 | Avishay Smoler | Right Wing | TBV Lemgo | 31 October 1985 | 1.80 | 78 | 66 | 194 | 6 | 36 |
6 | Eran Abrmovich | Right Wing | Octavio Pilotes Posada | 16 April 1982 | 1.81 | 89 | 12 | 19 | 3 | 8 |
7 | Chen Pomeranz | Back Player | HSG Wetzlar | 28 May 1984 | 1.85 | 84 | 42 | 167 | 4 | 20 |
10 | Chen Birnbaum | Line Player | Maccabi Rishon Le Zion | 20 July 1980 | 1.87 | 82 | 11 | 22 | 5 | 11 |
11 | Tom Matalon | Left Back | Maccabi Rishon Le Zion | 30 June 1983 | 1.89 | 88 | 37 | 86 | 8 | 25 |
12 | Zvika Gross | Goal Keeper | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 1 October 1977 | 1.87 | 83 | 33 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
13 | Gal Avraham | Left Wing | Maccabi Rishon Le Zion | 15 August 1981 | 1.79 | 80 | 28 | 106 | 8 | 43 |
14 | Dan Mircus | Line Player | ASA Tel Aviv | 18 January 1983 | 1.88 | 90 | 56 | 95 | 6 | 13 |
15 | Itzik Halifi | Right Back | ASA Tel Aviv | 1 April 1983 | 1.75 | 74 | 11 | 24 | 5 | 10 |
16 | Modi Sordo | Goal Keeper | Maccabi Rishon Le Zion | 18 August 1981 | 1.80 | 82 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
17 | Ido Lavie | Line Player | ASA Tel Aviv | 8 March 1982 | 1.92 | 95 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 2 |
21 | Omer Davda | Line Player | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 4 November 1987 | 1.87 | 104 | 15 | 11 | 3 | 1 |
24 | Amir Langlib | Center Back | Hapoel Rishon Le Zion | 14 July 1982 | 1.72 | 72 | 49 | 54 | 4 | 7 |
25 | Gil Yaakov | Goal Keeper | Bnei Herzelia | 26 June 1987 | 1.85 | 89 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
39 | Elad Kapon | Left Back/Line Player | Maccabi Qiryat Motzkin | 11 May 1989 | 1.95 | 97 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
- Caps and goals updated by 16 July 2009
Former coaches
- Eugen Trofin
- Shlomo Hoffman
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