Israel National Team

Following criticism regarding his absence from the national team's games in the current window, the NBA player responded on his Instagram page: "Portland was not willing to take a risk with my health, and in the situation that arose, I simply did not have the option to go out and play."

The Blue and Whites closed the August window with an 85:70 loss to Latvia and a 2:6 record in the World Cup qualifiers. After a campaign missing key players, Beit-Halachmi admitted: "In this way, it is difficult to implement a style of play," Sorkin added: "We cannot look like this."

After a 106:86 loss to Poland, the Israeli national team has lost its realistic chances of qualifying for the World Cup. Players and staff are now focusing on learning from the experience for future campaigns.

The Blue and Whites will hold a final test tomorrow (Sunday, 18:30) before the pair of World Cup qualifying matches. Netanel Artzi: "Georgia will give us a mirror of what we are going to face."

Despite the possibility of finishing in 13th place, which would normally guarantee staying in Division A, Israel's U16 girls' national team will play in Division B next year. This is due to the fact that Bulgaria, the host of the next championship, is also positioned within the 13th-16th place range. Israel lost to Lithuania 69-80 this Wednesday.

Dadi Ben Dayan told 103fm about the Israeli influx to the USA: "People tend to underestimate, but Americans are athletes first and foremost. If Turgeman and Baribo score 25 or 30 goals every year, I am sure it will catch the eyes of scouts from Europe."

The blue-and-whites overcame a double-digit deficit to lead heading into the final quarter, but ultimately fell 72:61. Michal Abudraham’s 21 points and 10 rebounds were not enough to secure the win.

The cadet national team succumbed to the Germans in the round of 16 of the European Championship, despite a comeback in the final quarter. Rotem Ben-David led with 22 points, but it was not enough for a win.

The Israel U16 national team suffered a defeat in its final European Championship group stage match, finishing in second place. Liam Danieli and Maor Sela led the scoring with 11 points each.

A major achievement: The Israeli team defeated Montenegro 31:27, advancing to the 9-16 placement matches. They are now just one win away from securing a spot in the prestigious tournament.

The 17-year-old Israeli wonderkid, who played 28 minutes in the Spanish champion's last friendly match, is expected to be included in Ran Ben Shimon's squad for the Nations League matches in September.