Daniel Collins saluted Team Maccabi GB’s golden wonders as the delegation returned from Berlin with a record 101-medal haul – their largest ever at the European Maccabi Games.
Prior to the 14th European Maccabi Games, Head of Delegation Collins told the JC that he had no specific medal
targets, but he was clearly delighted with the final figure, which easily surpassed the 78 tally in Vienna four years ago.
GB’s 253-athlete delegation won an incredible 20 medals on the penultimate day of competition in Germany, with Junior swimmer Ellie Grant their top athlete with seven golds, two silver and a bronze.
There was also a hat-trick of victories in the Futsal competition, with the Junior Under-16’s and Under-18’s
striking gold along with the Open team, who beat a highly-fancied Australia 4-2 in the final. In total the squad brought home 27 gold medals.
Collins said: "Overall it’s been a fantastic Games, the best one I’ve ever been to. It’s surpassed itself in the way that everyone has done their best and we’ve brought the most medals ever home. The level of competition was good and most people have medalled. It’s been an unbelievable experience.
"All the sports have brought home lots of medals and they have all done GB proud. Our achievement in futsal shows how far we’ve come in the sport. We’re investing in national coaches and the national team and have come a long way. We now have four potential internationals and it shows we’re pushing on in futsal in a very big way.
"I’m going home very proud, very emotional, given the number of medals our athletes picked up on the penultimate day. It’s been quite something.” Collins insists GB’s decision to take a youthful squad to Berlin will pay dividends for international sporting events for years to come.
"Ellie Grant is a fantastic prospect. The Junior section is very strong but the challenge for me is to make sure we can get everyone to the Maccabiah in 2017 which obviously is a bigger and more expensive challenge.
"But I’ll make sure we’ll take the best squad we can. There have been some really good junior athletes, not just in the way they’ve performed, but the way they’ve conducted themselves. Now it’s about developing the young athletes into coaches.
"But we don’t have enough female athletes, that’s the next target for me. The Opening ceremony was special but it was special the whole way through, watching our athletes pick up their medals is something I’ll always remember.
"Conduct has been good, but it could always be better. I can understand some of the heat-of-the-moment incidents, but compared to other delegations, we’ve been fine. We’ve not had to indulge in much discipline. I think this is the nicest bunch of juniors I’ve ever been involved with by far.
"Management did a fantastic job. It’s the first time Joel Nathan and Richard Horne have been involved in
general management and I hope they accept my invitation to work at the Maccabiah in two years."
Maccabi GB Chief Executive Martin Berliner described the EMG as a career highlight in his 15 years with the organisation. He said: “This has been my best trip. As Jews, we all have a story in Berlin and that’s what made it so special.
"Many of our athletes have never played at facilities such as these and the German people have embraced the event. I’m proud the Maccabi movement brought back thousands of Jews to the city and embraced it.
"One day all our athletes can say we were there."
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