The 11th Hapoel Games opened here this afternoon with athletes from 25 countries taking part in a week of athletics, field events and other sports spread around the country. Among the contingents are two from Africa: one from the Ivory Coast and one from Kenya.
This is the first time since the Yom Kippur War that any African teams are taking part in sports events in Israel — and the crowd gave the two two-man teams a spirited reception when they marched in behind their flags during the colorful opening ceremony. President Yitzhak Navon helicoptered from Jerusalem to open the Games. He was joined on the rostrum by Histadrut Secretary-General Yeruham Meshel. Hapoel is the Histadrut’s sports organization.
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