Opening event for the 2024-2025 table tennis season in memory of the late Shay Michaeli

The post was written by Yoram Michaeli, father of the late Sergeant Shay Michaeli.

Chol Hamoed Sukkot20.10.2024 | 9:00 to 19:00

At the Gan Nachum Hall, 9 Tamar Even St., Rishon LeZion

The opening event of the 2024-2025 table tennis season in memory of Sergeant Shay Michaeli was held under the auspices of the Israel Table Tennis Association, the Rishon Lezion Municipal Society for Culture and Sports, the Beitar Rishon Lezion Table Tennis Association, Taboola, and produced by the sports event production company ‘Hadar Ben-Dror’.

The event took place at the Gan Nachum Municipal Sports Hall in Rishon LeZion on Sunday, Chol Hamoed Sukkot 10/20/2024 (the date marking two years since Shay’s enlistment in the IDF) from morning until evening.

During the event, a TOP12 ranking competition was held, in which 72 of the most senior players ranked in 6 levels competed on 12 professional tables. All competitors were given a competition shirt.

In the lobby area where the audience entered, two additional table tennis tables were placed, allowing the general public to experiment and play freely, and prizes were even awarded to regulars.
A photo booth for magnets was also set up in the same area.

In the afternoon, a ceremony was held in memory of Shay Michaeli, which was opened by a short exhibition match between the 2024 Israeli champions for adults and youth.Nathaniel Abramovand the Mayor of Rishon LeZionRaz Kinstlich.
The ceremony was attended by many dignitaries, including the chairman of the Olympic Committee.Yael Aradand many other dignitaries.

At the end of the finals, prizes were awarded to the winners.

The competition was filmed by professional teams in video and stills, and also, 2 main competition tables were filmed live for YouTube as part of a pilot with Pixellot.
Preparations for the event lasted a long time, starting with the initiative of the Betar Rishon Association immediately after Shay’s fall on 4/4/2024, through the Israeli Championship (where the date of the event was announced) and until the day of the competition itself, 10/20/2024.

The ceremony in memory of Shay Michaeli

The highlight of the event to open the 2024-2025 table tennis season in Israel in memory of the late Shay Michaeli was the memorial ceremony held in the evening at the Gan Nachum Municipal Sports Hall in Rishon LeZion.

Many dignitaries attended the ceremony, including:

• Mayor of Rishon LeZion, Mr.Raz Kinstlich
• The Chairperson of the Olympic Committee, Mrs.Yael Arad
• CEO of the Municipality of Rishon LeZion, Mr.Doron Milberg
• CEO of the Rishon LeZion Municipal Society for Culture and Sports, Mr.Eli Pollak
• Deputy Mayor of Rishon LeZion, Mr. Ity Matityahu
• Officers and commandersBattalion 5114And many officers from the Communications and Information Technology Corps
• CEO of the Israel Table Tennis Association, Mrs.Karin Peleg-Neumann
• Chairman of the Betar Micha Association Rishon LeZion, Mr.Marian Grisaro
• Company representativesTaboola, the main visible sponsor
• Israeli Champion in Table Tennis for Adults and Youth for 2024,Nathaniel Abramov
• Tokyo Olympics medalist,Avisag Samberg
• Mr.Zvi Sussman,The father of the late Maj. Gen. (res.) Ben Zussman, who fell like a trophy in the Iron Swords War, and was a player for the Hapoel Jerusalem table tennis team.
• The master of ceremonies, Mr.Lichi Greenstein

Before the ceremony speeches, a short exhibition match was held between the Mayor of Rishon LeZion, Mr. Raz Kinstlich, and the Israeli champion in table tennis for adults and youth, Netanel Abramov. The judges were the CEO of the Municipality of Rishon LeZion, Mr. Doron Milberg, and the mayor’s son.
In the audience were many invited guests, relatives and friends of the Michaeli family, Shay’s friends from Battalion 5114, Shay’s close friends, and many table tennis players and enthusiasts.
The speeches at the ceremony were in memory of Sergeant Shay Michaeli, with most of them containing references to the impressive and honorable event, and especially the fact that this is the first and defining event that will have a commitment from all parties (especially the Municipality of Rishon LeZion, the Table Tennis Association and the army) to make the event an annual tradition was noted.
Shay’s commander, Lt. Col. A., spoke of Shay as an outstanding soldier in the battalion.
Shir Michaeli, Shay’s sister, spoke about the special bond they had and was very moved.
Yoram Michaeli, Shay’s father, closed the speech section with a speech titled ‘We will be worthy of you.‘.
The ceremony was conducted, with great grace and sensitivity, by Mr. Lichi Greenstein.

The ceremony in full

The exhibition game between the mayor and the Israeli champion

Lichi Greenstein opens and closes the ceremony

Speech by Mayor Raz Kinstlich

Speech by the Chairman of the Olympic Committee, Yael Arad

Speech by the Chairman of the Table Tennis Association, Karin Peleg-Neumann

Family speeches

Speech by Shir Michaeli

Speech by Yoram Michaeli

In the end we will meet again – the video that was shown on loops at the memorial table

Event summary video

TOP12 competition to open the 2024-2025 table tennis season in Israel

The Table Tennis Association’s opening competition for the Israeli table tennis season was a TOP12 competition, and 72 top-ranked players in Israel registered, divided into 6 categories based on their ranking. The competition was held on 12 tables at the Gan Nachum Municipal Sports Hall in Rishon LeZion.In each category, 12 players competed in a knockout format, including a match for 3rd and 4th place (for ranking purposes only). Each match was a best-of-5 format.In the first part of the day, a competition for categories 4-6 was held, and at the end, a medal ceremony was held for these categories.
After the lunch break, competitions in categories 1-3 were held consecutively until the end of the competition day and the medal ceremony, except for a break for the ceremony in memory of Shay Michaeli.The official competition page includes the winners table..

The competition was filmed in a special pilot with Pixellot, with two main tables filmed live and broadcast on YouTube.

Table number 6

Table number 7

Compensation competition for players on the waiting list in the competition to open the 2024-2025 table tennis season in Israel

More than 72 top-ranked players in Israel registered for the Table Tennis Association’s opening competition for the Israeli table tennis season. For those who were not included in the competition and additional players (a total of 57 players), a compensation competition was held the next day at the Yeshurun School gym in Rishon LeZion.Competitions were held in 3 levels using a knockout system. Each match was a best-of-5 system.The official competition page includes the winners table..

Photo album of the opening event of the 24/25 table tennis season in memory of Shay Michaeli

Video album of the opening event of the 24/25 table tennis season in memory of Shay Michaeli

Table Tennis Competition Album in Memory of Shay Michaeli – 10/21/2024

Thanks

In order to establish an event of this magnitude and make it a tradition, many people and organizations came together, and to them we thank you.
The list of acknowledgements isVery longAnd I hope I haven’t forgotten anyone…

First and foremost, I would like to thankMy beloved son ShayYour inspiration accompanied us all the way: your modesty, your motto and that of the event – “Talk less, do more“, the values of giving without limits, listening, your memory and the endless longing for you. Without all of these, the event would not have come to fruition. This event is just the first peak in the activity of commemoration, presence and legacy for you and your memory. And as long as I am here, there will be more such activities.

I want to thank my wife.OrlyDear. Your love for Shay is so great and the loss is so heavy! Therefore, your support in raising the event despite the great pain and the abyss in which you are immersed, especially in moments when it seemed that the difficulties and obstacles would prevent us from achieving our goals, was the real strength for the success of the event.

Special thanks toSongOur beloved daughter. The loss of a brother so close to your heart, just a moment (two weeks) before you are discharged from the army and begin your independent life, was an additional challenge in organizing the event. Therefore, your involvement during the week of the Israeli Championship and in the last days before the event was very important. Thank you for the moving speech you gave at the ceremony. We love you so much and we will always be here for you.

Thanks to the associationBeitar ‘Micha’ Rishon LeZion:

• To the Chairman of the Association Marian Grisero He was there from the meeting with the city’s CEO until the day of the competition, ensuring connections with the right people and the right word at the right time.
• For the team coaches Yaniv Sharon, Isak Abramov and Nati Gad Who so wanted there to be a competition in memory of Shay, whom they loved so much, and helped in everything they were asked to do.
• toKobi SharonThe amazing person who demonstrated the ability to organize a competition at an international level
• To the team players and especially toYuval Yaromalsky, Itay Sharon, and also to other players who helped including Yaakov Yaromalsky and Adi Aviani
• For the team players Nathaniel Abramov and Tommy Greenfeld They show everywhere and at every opportunity how much they loved Shay and were influenced by his legacy. Thank you both for being the first to join in any commemoration activity in Shay’s memory and for even going above and beyond what is required.

To the production company Hadar Ben-Dror– The wonderful Hadar Ben-Dror and Hanan Sterling – who raised an event to an international level with high standards and aimed high as I aim high. Just look at theEvent page on the company’s websiteTo get an idea of how professional they are!

Thank you to the managers and employees.Rishon LeZion Municipal Society for Culture and Sports:

• To the CEO of the company Eli Pollak From the very first moment, more than just the ‘Seven’ teamed up to help us as a family and produce the event, finance it, and direct the right people to help.
• to Eric Zemaitis, Director of the Sports and Community Division who cared and supported
• to Assi Deri, the director of the sports department, whose work and contribution to the event are difficult to describe in words. Assi, in his pleasant and practical way, knew how to connect us with the right people, understand the needs and lead the event to success.
• to Tali Charner,The director of the Cultural Department and the Cultural Hall, who has been with the family since the ‘Seventh’ and knew how to connect us with the right people to ‘close the last corners’ in the logistics of the event. Thanks to all the employees in the Cultural Department who helped.
• Special thanks to the director of the Gan Nahum Sports Hall, Doron Hamdi, and all the hall staff, who were attentive and helpful in everything.

Municipality of Rishon LeZion, to its employees and the elected officials at its head:

• To the mayor Raz Kinstlich Who, with wonderful sensitivity, has been accompanying the family since the ‘seventh anniversary’ without favoring any bereaved family (and there are so many bereaved families like us in the city) and yet listens, understands and helps in everything, even if it means risking embarrassment in front of the entire audience in an exhibition match against the Israeli table tennis champion. And the mayor met the task with honor!
• To the CEO of the municipality Doron Milberg, who was there at every stage and at every decision-making juncture and was committed to the success of the event, and even came to verify it twice during the day of the event, and umpired and refereed the exhibition match and didn’t forget that he came from table tennis.
• To the Deputy Mayors:

   – Eitan Shalom, the sports portfolio holder, who supported the event and made it a success

   – Avi Chaim, who accompanied the family, helped keep the event in the air and the people of his office

   – Itay Matityahu, the youth portfolio holder, who has been with the family for several years, even before Shay’s fall, helped a lot to make the event a success and publicize it, and of course thanks to the people in his office

• And thanks to many more in the Rishon LeZion municipality who helped.

Thanks toIsrael Table Tennis Association:

• To the chairman of the unionLiron Carmel, who supported the event from the day we initiated it, overcame the difficulties and understood that Shay’s legacy is to connect people, promote the sport of table tennis, and transcend any controversy that could be an obstacle to achieving these goals, as well as the lack of budget.
• To the outgoing CEO of the union Karin Peleg-NeumannWho helped with all the logistics of producing the competition and accompanied the event throughout.
• Thanks to everyone who helped with the union behind the scenes.

Thanks to sponsors and other companies:

• To the company Taboola TaboolaThe wonderful, the Adam Singolda The one who heads it (and once again we are committed to helping the family),Efrat Israeli-Koren Human Resources Manager, Aviv Sinai, to Avi Levi And to everyone who helped behind the scenes
• To Pixellot andAlon Verber, its outgoing CEO, and also toShay PardoAndEugene LevittWho lifted the pilot system and accompanied the event until its conclusion.

Thanks to the many photography teams: the video crew, the still photographer Gilad Kavalerchik And the magnet photography team.

Thank you to all the anonymous donors (and there are quite a few of them!) who generously donated and made the event a success. Without you, it wouldn’t have happened at all!

Thanks to Battalion 5114 and the commanders of the Communications and Information Corps for all their help, for their honorable arrival at the event, and special thanks to Lt. Col. A. Shay’s battalion commander for all the support, for the moving speech, and for the special connection you had with Shay.

Thanks to Yigal Akari For the unwavering support of the family

Thanks to Hanan Michaeli My dear cousin for everything

Thanks to Zvi Zussman, the father of the late Major Ben Sussman, for his advice, support, and attendance at the event.

Thanks also toDodik AltertzFor the support and help. There aren’t many people like you!

Special thanks to my teachers and rabbi.Tsaka Raz We have known each other for so many years and you also accompanied Shay on his path in the table tennis industry, connecting us toYaniv SharonAt the beginning, you even tested and accepted Shay into the instructor course (although it ultimately failed due to the coronavirus pandemic), a course that I took under your leadership about 40 years ago. You also knew how to give advice to help elevate this event, even though you remained (and rightly so) behind the scenes.

Thanks to the Chairman of the Olympic Committee Yael Arad For your support, commitment and participation in the event. You are an inspiration to us all! And thanks to the CEO of the committee Gili Lustig Although he couldn’t come, he helped behind the scenes.

A special heartfelt thank you to my new brother in the bereaved family.Oren SmedjaThe conversation between us and our correspondence strengthened me greatly, and I am strengthening and embracing you from afar.

Thank you to everyone who supported and helped and came to the event… I’m sure I forgot more people on the list, I apologize in advance.