The 11th Maccabiah Games to be held in Israel in July, 1981, has organizational and economic difficulties to surmount but it is expected, nevertheless, to be the longest Maccabiah in history and the most important as a symbol of Jewish solidarity, according to Dr. Israel Peled, chairman of the Maccabi World Union Executive.
Speaking at the opening meeting of the International Maccabiah Games Committee here, attended by some 60 Jewish sports leaders from all over the world, Peled announced that some 3000 Jewish athletes from abroad have already registered for the competition which has been dubbed the "Jewish Olympics."
The contests will include more than 30 different branches of sports and the percentage of women participants will be much larger than in previous Moccabiahs. Women will compete in karate, judo, sailing, fencing, tennis, swimming, diving, golf and table-tennis.
Pierre Gildesgame, president of the World Maccabiah Movement, stressed in his opening remarks that the Maccabiah Games are a means of introducing Jewish knowledge to sports-loving Jewish youth. The delegates attending the meeting are from Europe, Latin America, Canada, Mexico, Australia and South Africa. The large American delegation consists of the Executive of the U.S. Committee Sports for Israel.
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