Around 10,000 athletes from over 60 countries arrived in Israel this week to compete in the Maccabiah Games, Israel’s biggest sporting event, often referred to as the Jewish Olympics. The event, named after an ancient Jewish warrior, Judah Maccabee, is open to Jewish athletes from all over the world, as well as Israeli athletes of any religion.
Ian Cohen, staff physician in the U of T David L. MacIntosh Sport Medicine Clinic is the chief medical officer for Team Canada at the 21st Maccabiah Games (photo courtesy Ian Cohen)
The 21st Games began on July 12 and will take place over a two-week period across the country. Ian Cohen, a staff physician in the University of Toronto David L. MacIntosh Sport Medicine Clinic, is attending the Games as the chief medical officer for Team Canada.
“I am responsible for organizing the physician coverage for the entire team including athletes, coaches, and support staff,” says Cohen of his role at the Games. “Along with four other physicians and a nurse practitioner, we are providing care at sport events and in our medical clinics across the four areas of the country where the Maccabiah Games are taking place, including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa.”
There are 530 members on the Canadian contingent at the Games, including two Varsity Blues coaches, Ilya Orlov, the university's soccer head coach, and Madhav Trivedi, the interim men’s basketball coach.
With competitions well under way in baseball, soccer, hockey and tennis, Cohen says his team has already been quite busy.
“We have already seen a number of knee and should injuries,” he says. “Some athletes arrived working through recent injuries and have been receiving treatment to get them game ready.”
The types of injuries depend on the sport, he says.
“Exactly like what we would be seeing at the MacIntosh Clinic.”
Although he doesn't have much free time on his hands, Cohen did get to enjoy the opening ceremony at the Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem, which he describes as spectacular. The ceremony was attended by Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and US President Joe Biden, who came to cheer the US delegation, represented by 1,400 athletes.
“These Games are the largest gathering of Jewish athletes in the world and, with over 10,000 athletes in attendance, one of the largest sporting events in the world after the Olympics,” says Cohen, who has a personal interest in the cycling and triathlon competitions having formerly competed in the latter.
This is the first time Cohen has participated in the Games and he says the experience so far has been excellent.
“The host organizing committee are doing everything they can to support us with anything we need,” he says. “The goal of these events is to bring Jewish athletes together from all over the world and allow them to experience Israel. For many of them, this is their first time here. The event creates a lifelong connection to the land and its people.”