A.S. Kiryat Gat/Ashkelon

Lore & Background

In 2013, the club was relegated to the Liga Artzit due to financial issues. The following year, they returned to the second division, and in 2015 they promoted back to the Premier League after winning the Finals against Kiryat Ata. On July 16, 2018, Maccabi Kiryat Gat was dissolved due to financial issues.

In the 2024–2025 season, Yehi Biton was appointed chairman. The re-established club, now named Maccabi Kiryat Gat, began playing in the Liga Artzit. At the end of that season, the team finished 2nd and advanced through the playoffs, defeating Maccabi Be’er Ya’akov and Maccabi Ma’ale Adumim. In the finals series, they beat Maccabi Ashdod in the first game, but before the series was completed, they were promoted to the Liga Leumit due to the end of the season following Operation Swords of Iron.

Reader's Guide

A.S. Kiryat Gat/Ashkelon represents a notable case of a club that rose from financial hardship to achieve promotion to Israel's top basketball league, only to disband and later be revived through a merger. Its 2014–2015 Liga Leumit championship remains its signature accomplishment. The club's re-establishment in 2024 under the name Maccabi Kiryat Gat, following a merger with A.S. Ashkelon, illustrates the resilience and complex dynamics of Israeli basketball club management. The team's promotion back to the Liga Leumit in the 2024–2025 season, cut short by Operation Rising Lion, adds a unique chapter to its history. The club's legacy is tied to its ability to overcome financial crises and its role in the competitive landscape of Israeli basketball.

Did You Know?

• The club existed from the early 2000s until disbanding in 2018.
• It won the Liga Leumit championship in the 2014–2015 season as Maccabi Kiryat Gat.
• The team was re-established in 2024 and plays as Maccabi Kiryat Gat.
• In the 2024–2025 season, promotion to the Liga Leumit was granted before the finals series ended, due to Operation Swords of Iron.