Baruch Hagai
Encyclopedia
Baruch Hagai is an Israel
i paralympic champion.
, Libya
, to a family of 13. At the age of two he contracted polio, and five years later his family made aliyah
to Israel. The family settled in Tel Aviv
, where Hagai was treated for polio in Israel for the first time. Hagai was trained as a technician, and in the years 1960-2000 he worked as a technician and project manager for a bus-manufacturing factory.
, in 1960, and was active in wheelchair basketball
and in table tennis
. Over the years he took part in 224 international basketball games on behalf of the Israeli national team and 66 international games on behalf of the Center. In table tennis he won four consecutive gold medals at the Paralympic Games
.
Following his retirement, Hagai joined the Sports Center as Head Coach.
.
In 2001, he was awarded with the Israel Prize
, for sports, in recognition of his long years of excellence in disabled sports.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i paralympic champion.
Early life
Hagai was born in TripoliTripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, to a family of 13. At the age of two he contracted polio, and five years later his family made aliyah
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
to Israel. The family settled in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, where Hagai was treated for polio in Israel for the first time. Hagai was trained as a technician, and in the years 1960-2000 he worked as a technician and project manager for a bus-manufacturing factory.
Basketball and table tennis career
He was one of the first to join the Israel Sports Center for the DisabledIsrael Sports Center for the Disabled
The Israel Sports Center for the Disabled is an Israeli institution operated by ILAN aimed at rehabilitation of the physically challenged.-History:...
, in 1960, and was active in wheelchair basketball
Wheelchair basketball
Wheelchair basketball is basketball played by people in wheelchairs and is considered one of the major disabled sports practiced. The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation is the governing body for this sport. It is recognized by the International Paralympic Committee as the sole...
and in table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
. Over the years he took part in 224 international basketball games on behalf of the Israeli national team and 66 international games on behalf of the Center. In table tennis he won four consecutive gold medals at the Paralympic Games
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
.
Following his retirement, Hagai joined the Sports Center as Head Coach.
Awards
In 1986, Hagai was declared as a "Man of Peace" on behalf of the International Olympic CommitteeInternational Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
.
In 2001, he was awarded with the Israel Prize
Israel Prize
The Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...
, for sports, in recognition of his long years of excellence in disabled sports.
External links
See also
- List of Israel Prize recipients