Israel to host 2018 World Lacrosse Championships
Head of sport’s national body says decision to hold event in Netanya comes after country’s recent success in game
The central Israeli city of Netanya will host the 2018 Men’s World Lacrosse Championships, the mayor of the city and the head of the Israel Lacrosse Association announced Tuesday.
The decision to pick Netanya as the site of the Federation of International Lacrosse competition was made following Israel’s recent success in the sport on the world stage, having placed second in the 2016 European championship and seventh in the 2014 World Championship, as well as the growing popularity of the sport in the country, the ILA said in a statement.
Next year’s tournament will be the first time that the competition will be held outside of the US, Canada, England or Australia since it began in 1967 and is set to feature a record 50 nations, the statement said..
ILA head Scott Neiss said that the decision to pick Israel to host was a testament to the country’s growing success in lacrosse.
“The success of Israel Lacrosse both internationally, that sees us ranked seventh in the world, and the domestic infrastructure we’ve established at grassroots level here in Israel, put us in good standing when submitting our bid to host the FIL World Championships and we’re delighted to showcase our country, our facilities, and the spirit of Israel to the world,” he said.
Netanya Mayor Miriam Feirberg-Ikar said that the coastal city was “honored” to be chosen as the host of next year’s competition, having already hosted a number of international sports tournaments in recent years.
“Netanya is honored to be the first to instill a new tradition in the lacrosse industry. I’m happy about the success of the Israeli league in the international arena and thank the Lacrosse Association for our choice as the host city,” she said.
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