Handball: Maccabi Rishon downs rival Hapoel to takes title

By ALLON SINAI
Maccabi Rishon Lezion celebrated its fourth handball championship in five seasons on Friday, defeating arch-rival Hapoel Rishon Lezion 33-27 in Game 5 of the playoff finals to complete a 3-1 series victory, with one game ending in a tie. Hapoel entered Friday's game knowing it needs to win by more than 10 points to retain the league title, but trailed throughout Game 5 and Maccabi claimed a 10th championship in club history. "This is a tremendous championship," Maccabi coach Gilad Maor said. "We knocked them out in the first few minutes. "We proved once more that Maccabi Rishon is the best team in the country."