Israel Women's National Water Polo Team

Israel's women's team has competed at European Championship finals, the World Championship and an Olympic qualification tournament, although it did not reach the Tokyo Olympic Games.[1][2] Its European Championship debut in 2018 ended in tenth place, and it improved to ninth in 2020.[6] In 2022, it finished sixth, its best European placing.[7]

The team's international development has included a foreign professional coaching staff and an academy at Wingate.[2] Alongside its sporting results, the team has faced disputes over access to a competition venue and the wearing of symbols calling for the release of hostages held in Gaza.[8][9]

Israel finished tenth at its European Championship debut in 2018, then improved to ninth at the 2020 tournament in Budapest.[6] Its first victory in European Championship finals came in 2020 against Germany, a 10–3 win in which Israel led 7–1 at halftime.[10] Captain Shunit Strogo scored four goals, while Hila Futorian and Miriam Bogachenkov contributed three each.[10] Israel subsequently defeated Croatia 11–7 in the ninth-place match, recording its second victory in the competition and its best finish to that point.[6]

The team participated in the qualification tournament for the Tokyo Olympics but did not advance to the Games.[1] A photograph from 2021 also documents the Israeli women's team at an Olympic qualification tournament.[11]

At the September 2022 European Championship, Israel defeated Croatia 15–8 to reach the fifth-place game and secure its first qualification for the women's World Championship, scheduled for Japan in 2023.[12] Israel recovered from an early 2–0 deficit, with Nofar Hochberg and Maria Bogachenkov scoring four goals apiece.[12] The team finished sixth in the European tournament, establishing a new national best.[2][7]

At the 2023 World Championship in Fukuoka, a 16–7 knockout-round defeat to Australia sent Israel into the classification games for ninth through twelfth places rather than the quarterfinals.[13] Veronika Kordonskaya scored three goals against Australia, while Alma Yaakobi, Noa Sassover, Tahel Levy and Maria Bogachenkov scored one each.[13] Israel then beat New Zealand 15–12 to secure a top-ten finish; Shunit Strogo scored four goals and was named the match's most valuable player.[14] Israel ultimately finished tenth.[2]

The 2024 European Championship campaign included a 20–11 loss to Italy in Eindhoven.[9] Alma Yaakobi scored four goals, Veronika Kordonskaya three and Maria Bogachenkov two, with Shunit Strogo and Dina Namakshtansky adding one each.[9] Against defending champion Spain, Israel lost 22–7, with Alma Yaakobi scoring five of Israel's goals.[15]

Israel qualified for the 2026 European Championship by finishing among the top two in its qualifying group in Slovakia in June 2025.[4] The finals in Funchal, Portugal, marked the team's fifth consecutive appearance in the competition.[4] Israel opened with a 24–9 victory over Switzerland: Noa Sassover scored after 40 seconds, and the team led 7–0 after the first quarter and 16–1 at halftime.[16] Maria Bogachenkov and Alma Yaakobi each scored four goals.[16]

An 11–6 victory over Great Britain secured a top-two group finish, a quarterfinal place, qualification for the 2027 World Championship and automatic entry to the 2028 European Championship.[5] Yaakobi again led Israel with four goals.[5] A subsequent 23–6 defeat to the Netherlands left Israel second in Group D, ahead of Great Britain and Switzerland.[17]

In the classification contest for fifth through eighth places, Israel lost 16–11 to Croatia despite recovering from a 3–0 deficit to take a 4–3 lead.[7] Noga Leivenshtein scored three goals in that match, after which Israel moved into the seventh-place contest.[7] The team finished the championship seventh.[18]

The women's program has operated with a foreign professional coaching staff and an academy at Wingate, following a period described as years without women's water polo in Israel.[2] Greek coach Dimitris Mavrotas led the national team at the 2024 European Championship.[9] Fellow Greek coach Orestis Salachas replaced him and was set to make his team debut at the 2026 European Championship, where captain Alma Yaakobi headed a 15-player roster.[4]

Players' careers have also extended to U.S. college competition; a 2026 report said seven Israeli women were then playing in the college league, most in leading roles.[18] In April 2026, national-team players Alma Yaakobi and Maria Bogachenkov played for opposing college teams that met in the NCAA final.[18]

The 15–12 victory over New Zealand at the 2023 World Championship secured a top-ten world placing described as unprecedented for a senior Israeli ball-sport team.[14] The sixth-place European finish in 2022 and tenth-place world finish in 2023 marked a major leap for the women's program.[2]

National representation has also been expressed beyond match results: after a qualifying victory over Sweden in Slovakia, the players sang Israel's anthem themselves because organizers said they could not find its recording.[3] The account, published in 2025, did not specify the match's date or score.[3]

In October 2018, Israel was prevented from playing Spain at the planned venue in Molins de Rei.[8] The account connects the incident to the municipality's endorsement of BDS principles and notes that two Spanish high courts had defined the relevant practice as discrimination.[8] Following high-level deliberations, the match went ahead elsewhere in Spain, with fewer spectators and less media coverage; Spain's sports minister, José Guirao, apologized.[8] The connection to BDS and the political characterization of the incident rest on a single analysis rather than independently corroborated accounts in the available material.[8]

At the 2024 European Championship, the Israel Water Polo Association complained to European Aquatics after players were told not to wear dog tags and yellow armbands calling for the release of hostages held in Gaza, while coach Mavrotas was permitted to wear a supporting ribbon.[9] At the player presentation before the Spain match, the team wore yellow ribbons and dog tags after not receiving permission for the gesture the previous day.[15]