History has been made in Dubai: for the first time since the peace agreement was signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, a professional sports event took place between them. It was an ice hockey game – between the “Chiefs” from Bat Yam and the “Camels” from Dubai, that was held at a professional ice hockey arena in Dubai.
The Bat Yam team, which is the reigning Israeli champion from the 2018/2019 season, defeated the Camels from Dubai 9 – 6 in a game held over the weekend. Israel’s Foreign Ministry noted that this is the first time such a sports match has been held between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. A number of agreements have been signed between the various sports associations.
The Israelis were received warmly by the locals though the game was held without fans due to the Coronavirus limitations.
The commissioner of the National Hockey League (NHL), the most prestigious hockey league in the world, Gary Bettman, sent a recorded greeting for the game and said: “We send our congratulations for this historic event. The first professional game between a team from Israel and a team from the Emirates. We are proud that hockey can bring people together. We want to wish all the participants congratulations and hope that this is the first event of many.”
