The Olympic Committee of Israel has held its 44th annual ceremony in memory of the 11 victims at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.

The Ceremony was attended by hundreds of people who cherish the memory of the eleven victims, among them Israel Olympic Committee leaders President Igal Carmi and CEO Gilad Lustig , IOC Member Alex Gilady, the German Ambassador to Israel Dr. Clemens von Goetze, representatives of the of the Israeli Government and Tel-Aviv Municipality, Munich survivors, and families of the 11 victims with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as Olympic athletes and members of the Rio 2016 delegation, together with many other guests.

In his address, NOC President Igal Carmi said: “44 years have passed and the sense of loss and pain are deep in our hearts. The commemoration of the eleven athletes and their legacy is an inseparable part of the essence of the Israeli Olympic Committee. We should always remember and never forget. The eleven families are part of our extended family. The memory of the victims is perpetuated in our Olympic Experience Museum.”

President Carmi noted that, for the first time, the International Olympic Committee held a memorial ceremony at the Olympic Village in Rio. He added: “We felt that it was the right thing to do, we have reached a reconciliation moment which we had been expecting for so many years.

“I thank Dr Thomas Bach who led this change and caused the International Olympic Committee to commemorate the victims and remember the horrific event that took place during the Olympic Games in Munich. The fact that this event will also be held during the Games in Tokyo in 2020 promises that the occasion will now be part of the Olympic Games.”