The Maccabiah Games are open to Jewish athletes from around the world, and to all Israeli citizens regardless of their religion.
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16 Facts About Maccabiah Games
2.
The Maccabiah Games were declared a "Regional Sports Event" by, and under the auspices and supervision of, the International Olympic Committee in 1961.
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3.
Maccabiah Games are open to Jewish athletes from around the world, as well as to all Israeli athletes regardless of ethnicity or religion.
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4.
Name Maccabiah Games was chosen after Judah Maccabee, a Jewish leader who defended his country from King Antiochus.
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5.
Maccabiah Games were the result of a proposal put forward by Yosef Yekutieli in 1929 at the Maccabi World Congress.
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6.
Maccabiah Games were intended to take place at an interval of three years.
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7.
The 3rd Maccabiah Games, which was scheduled for spring of 1938, was postponed until 1950 due to British concerns of large-scale illegal immigration, World War II, and the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
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8.
The 2nd Winter Maccabiah Games took place February 18 to 22,1936, in Banska Bystrica.
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9.
Maccabiah Games recognize all 28 current Olympic sports, plus a number of other sports such as chess, cricket, and netball.
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10.
In contrast with the Olympic Games and other major international sporting events, the Maccabiah rules regarding accepting new sports are very lenient.
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11.
New sports are accepted to the Maccabiah Games provided that competitions will only take place if at least four delegations bring competitors for that sport.
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12.
Maccabiah Games are organized into four divisions: Open, Junior, Masters, and Paralympics.
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13.
The 19th Maccabiah Games was granted provisional approval for dressage and jumping competitions from the FEI.
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14.
Athletes who have competed in the Maccabiah Games include many Olympic gold medalists, world champions, and world record holders.
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15.
Maccabiah Games have grown into one of the world's largest sporting events, with 85 participating countries in the current edition of the Maccabiah.
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16.
Iran, a Muslim, but not Arab country, which debuted at the 7th Maccabiah Games, stopped participating following the Iranian Revolution.
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