Maccabi wins Rishon battle for national handball title

Maccabi Rishon Lezion defeats arch-rival Hapoel Rishon Lezion 31-30.

By ALLON SINAI
Maccabi Rishon Lezion claimed its second straight handball championship and fifth in six seasons on Friday, defeating arch-rival Hapoel Rishon Lezion 31-30 to complete a 3-0 sweep in the playoff finals.
The Rishon teams have dominated the local handball scene for more than two decades, winning all but one of the league titles since 1984.
Yoav Ne’eman scored 10 goals for Maccabi on Friday, giving his team the edge in a tight match.
“We won a superb game,” Ne’eman said. “We played an amazing series and I am proud to be part of Maccabi Rishon.”
Maccabi coach Gilad Maor, who has been at the helm in all five of theclub’s recent championships, was proud of his players. “This is sosweet,” Maor said. “We dominated the series and we deserved to win thetitle.”