David Munden of Buckley has been named head coach of the Team USA adult karate team that will compete in July 2022 at the Maccabiah Games in Israel.
The Maccabiah Games, held every four years, are known as the Jewish Olympics and are said to be the third largest international multi-sport event in the world.
Team USA expects to take more than 1,100 athletes to the event, who will join nearly 9,000 Jewish athletes from 80 countries. They will be participating in more than 40 different sports at the international showcase.
This will be Munden’s third time representing Team USA in the Maccabi Games. He served as head coach for the Junior/Cadet karate teams in both the 2013 and 2017 Games. A black belt himself, he is affiliated with USA Karate and is the head instructor of the Japan Karate Federation NW dojo in Auburn.
Quoted in a press release, Munden said his goal for the 2022 Games is “to help provide a vehicle for the athletes to connect with Israel, with others from the USA and around the world, build (hopefully lasting) connections, and of course to grow and excel through their training and competition.”
About the Maccabiah
The first Maccabiah was held in in Ramat Gan, Israel, in 1932 with 390 athletes from 18 countries taking part. Traditionally held every four years, interrupted only by World War II, by 2017 the Games had grown to include nearly 10,000 Jewish athletes from more than 75 countries competing in 40 sports. As the third largest international multi-sport event in the world, it trails only the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup. The Maccabi USA delegation to the 20th Maccabiah in the summer of 2017 numbered 1,131 members.
About Maccabi USA
Maccabi USA is a federally-recognized, not-for-profit organization with a history of enriching Jewish lives through athletic, cultural, and educational programs. MUSA is the official sponsor of the United States team to the World Maccabiah Games and the Pan American and European Maccabi Games, as well as a sponsor of the JCC Maccabi Games for teens in North America.
Maccabi USA develops, promotes, and supports international, national, and regional athletic-based activities and facilities. It strives to provide Jewish athletes all over the world the opportunity to share their heritage and customs in competitive athletic settings.
