David Kyte has been appointed as the head of the Organising Committees for both the European Maccabi Games to be held in Vienna In July 2011 and the 19th Maccabiah Games in Israel in 2013.
Kyte, 49, has been a member of the Maccabi movement since joining Maccabi Association London as a teenager in the early 1970’s and this summer he was the bearer of the Union Jack flag for Maccabi GB at the 18th Maccabiah.
A seven-time Maccabian and three European Maccabi Games competitor, Kyte has won many trophies along the way, including this summer captaining the Over 45’s Masters Football team to a gold medal after beating the host nation Israel in the final.
Kyte first attended the Maccabiah in 1985, reaching the quarter-finals with the Open Football Team. He went on to win a bronze in 1993 in the Open Futsal and won a silver medal in the Masters Futsal in 2005.
A founder member of London Maccabi Lions and a founding trustee of London Maccabi Recreational Trust at Rowley Lane, Kyte also sits as a trustee of the Maccabi Foundation and also Maccabi World Union.
“I am proud and honored to accept this position,” said Kyte. “I will do everything I can to ensure those selected enjoy their experience and receive the best coaching possible to perform to the highest of standards.
“My predecessor David Pinnick and his team have raised the bar not only through our medal haul but also with the high numbers of participants and will be a hard act to follow. Their experience and continuity will be a key to our success in the future.”
As well as the Maccabi movement, Kyte is a long time and staunch supporter of many of the communal charities including CST, Jewish Care, Norwood and UJIA.
Outside of Jewish sport, Kyte is a veteran of the City, having spent a career trading in securities and derivatives both on the London Stock Exchange and the LIFFE market where he was a non-exec director for nearly eight years. He founded the Kyte Group in 1985.
Maccabi GB chairman Stuart Greenberg said: “It’s hard to find anyone who defines the Maccabi spirit and the winning way more than David, who not only enjoys playing Maccabi sport but has also been instrumental in providing unrivalled sports facilities for our young people via London Maccabi at Rowley Lane.
“David above all, is a community leader and I am delighted that he has accepted the two roles. We wanted to give David and the team he selects the maximum period of time to prepare and to build on the very successful team we sent to Israel this summer. The European Maccabi Games will allow David the time to create the frame work he requires for the 2013 World Games.”