Hapoel Jerusalem considers moving home games to Cyprus — Cyprus Mail

Israeli basketball club Hapoel Jerusalem has approached Cyprus authorities about the possibility of moving its home games to the island. According to Cyprus Mail, club owner Matan Adelson confirmed this in a conversation with the Jerusalem Post. According to him, the club contacted the Cypriot authorities when it became clear that such an option was available.

After Maccabi's request

Hapoel's request came several days after a similar inquiry from Maccabi Tel Aviv. The Tel Aviv club had previously sent a letter to Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides asking to use Cyprus as a home venue for EuroLeague games.

The Cypriot government is not disclosing details of its discussions with Maccabi, citing security considerations. According to the publication, the Tassos Papadopoulos Eleftheria Stadium in Nicosia and the Spyros Kyprianou Athletic Centre in Limassol may be considered for the Tel Aviv club's games.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Cyprus' previous experience

After the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Cyprus had already hosted games involving several Israeli basketball clubs. At that time, the games were held without spectators. Later, the government's position on hosting such fixtures changed due to security concerns.

As Cyprus Mail writes, a similar request by Maccabi in June last year was likely rejected because of police concerns over security and the organizational burden associated with the games. Hapoel Jerusalem, founded in 1935, won the Israeli championship twice, in 2015 and 2017, and has won the Israel State Cup eight times.