MTA's U14 Team South played counterparts from Taibe in a special match at "Beit Hanivcharot"
In a joint project that began last winter with the Under-13s, Maccabi Tel Aviv's now Under-14 Team South played counterparts from the Israeli Arab town of Taibe in a special event dedicated to the promotion of coexistence at "Beit Nivcharot" sports complex near Tel Aviv. This is the third time Hapoel Taibe Youth and Maccabi Tel Aviv have met in the framework of this special project, after having played home and away in March and April of this year. Maccabi were also privileged to welcome their new Taibe acquaintances at last season's final of the national Under-13 State Cup, where the guests cheered Maccabi on in their 6-2 triumph over Maccabi Haifa.
Yesterday's hour-long match, which Maccabi ultimately won 1-0, was one of a number of games played as part of a special initiative organised by the "Value Sports" Association, which aims to strengthen the values of Israeli society by teaching children and young people sportsmanship, ethics and character building through sports. The match took on extra special significance through the presence of Israel's new president, Reuven Rivlin, who in a special ceremony held afterwards received from all of the participating teams' captains footballs signed by all the players who participated in the event. In addition, the Maccabi team presented the president with a Maccabi Tel Aviv shirt, as well as handing out banners and a statuette to their Taibe team counterparts.
*Photographs courtesy of the Israel Football Association
