The Lithuanian team who have participated in six European Macabbi games since 1995 is constituted of 26 athletes and coaches in five different sports. They include a mini soccer team who became the European champions twice, in the Netherlands in 1995 and in Austria in 2011 and made it to second place three times. Gercas Žakas is the team trainer, Matvejus Frišmanas is the coach and Artūras Sobolis is the team captain. During the training period the soccer team had a number of practice matches in Vilnius with opponents coming from Kaunas and Šiauliai.

Maccabi Games veteran games champion and swimmer Ela Pavinskienė continues to lead the strong swim team. The team includes winner of multiple European championships Andrej Fadeev and the promising Artiom Perepelica and Jekaterina Gamper.

The Lithuanian team also includes badminton player Alanas Plavinas who took second place at the World Maccabiah Games, the powerful table-tennis player Vanessa Ražinskytė and outdoor tennis veterans Ilja Bereznickas and Valentina Finkelšteinienė.

The head of delegation is Kostas Pavinskas, the youth team director is Sofija Pavinskaitė, Arkadij Goldin is the team doctor and Daumantas Todesas is deputy coach of the soccer team.

Delegations from thirty-eight countries in nineteen fields of sport are to take part at the European Maccabi Games in Berlin this year for a total of 2,300 athletes participating. The games are to include a large cultural program, a ceremony for victims of the Holocaust and a Sabbath dinner and a series of excursions and tours for the athletes.

Semionas Finkelšteinas

Head of delegation, Lithuanian Maccabi Athletics Club

Photo : Maccabi delegation at the Lithuanian Jewish Community.