Outgoing Israeli President Reuven Rivlin met Wednesday with the delegates of Israel's Olympic team at his official residence, prior to their departure for the Tokyo Games next month.
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President Rivlin congratulated the athletes, praising their preparations for the Olympics, originally due to take place last year and delayed due to COVID-19.
"You prepared magnificently. Now, it's your turn to reap the fruits and the glory. To go faster, higher, stronger, more beautifully. I see you here, ready but relaxed, prepared to face any challenge. We believe in you. We know you can do it," the President said, as reported by The Times of Israel.
"You sportsmen and sportswomen, who represent the diversity of Israeli society, are testament to the fact that the determination that courses through you crosses all sectors and groups."
Rivlin singled out Israel's Paralympians for additional praise: "I would like to send special blessings to the Paralympic delegation. We all understand that sporting competition along with serious disability is far more demanding and challenging. You prove that with determination and hard work it is possible to reach amazing, incredible sporting success, to beat barriers. For us, you are role models."
Meanwhile, Israel's baseball team is heading to the Tokyo Olympics with high hopes and maybe some more luck from mascot "Mensch on the Bench" following their miracle run at the World Baseball Classic in 2017 when the biggest underdog in the tournament rattled off six straight wins to ultimately finish in sixth place.
Team Israel takes the field in Japan underdogs again, with no current Major League Baseball players on the roster because of an MLB rule barring active players from competing in the Summer Games.
Six teams will be competing for gold, silver and bronze, in the first baseball and softball competition at the Olympics since Beijing in 2008.
Besides Israel, the countries competing for a gold medal include host nation Japan, Korea, Mexico and the United States with the final spot still to be decided in the qualifier.
Like in 2017, Israel's lineup mostly features American-born Jews with dual Israeli citizenship.
Team Israel opens Olympic play on July 29.
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Final preparations for the Games, and corona-related safety precautions, are taking place in Tokyo, with many people in Japan still concerned about the impact of the event on the spread of the disease.
While deaths from corona have been relatively low in Japan, so too are the levels of vaccination there.
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
