This afternoon (Tuesday) saw the festive opening of the Israeli "Fair-Play Football" Championships at Maccabi Tel Aviv's Kiryat Shalom sporting complex. The competition, dedicated in the name of former Maccabi Tel Aviv star, the late Avi Cohen, is the initiative of the Israeli sports secretary Ms Limor Livnat in co-operation with the organisation "Football Nation" and the Council for the Prevention of Violence in Sports.
Among other things, what makes this competition, now in its third year, so special is that the matches are played without referees or linesmen, compelling the 186 participating teams from throughout the country to put into practice the rules of the beautiful game as it was meant to be played.
Maccabi Tel Aviv's contribution to the tournament was their training ground at Kiryat Shalom. During the opening ceremony, Maccabi owner representative Jack Angelides spoke with admiration of the contribution of the late Avi Cohen to Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club over the years and stressed the importance of the tournament in particular and of fair play in football in general.
The opening kick of the competition was also a co-operative effort, between Ms Livnat and the late Avi Cohen's widow Dorit.
