RUDI ROTH
RUDI ROTH SCHOLARSHIP FUND
ABOUT RUDI ROTH
Rudi Roth was born in Poland, and came to Australia in 1933 as a toddler. He lived in Israel for a short time in the 1950s, coaching in the first ever Israeli International Squash Championship, conducted in 1955. He was also the Israeli Airforce Squash Champion in 1955. He then returned to Australia, residing in Sydney for a number of years before returning to Melbourne.
Rudi was the first Australian Jewish squash captain. He had an illustrious squash career as a young adult in NSW, founding JASA Squash while captaining the Eastern Suburbs Squash Club. He also played an instrumental role in the development AJAX Squash Courts in Alma Rd, Melbourne, named as a founder of the AJAX Squash Club in Victoria, which later became known as the Maccabi Victoria Squash Club. He was not only the Club’s first secretary, but also its first Captain. Soon after the Club’s creation and acceptance into pennant competition, the Club won its first ever Victorian Flag, a first for a Jewish sporting club at that time.
Having overcome Rickets at age 12, undergoing six operations and then re-learning how to walk, Rudi was not sure he would ever walk, let alone succeed in squash at the highest level. To this end, Rudi is keen to support emerging athletes, with their eye on elite status.
YEARLY GRANT
The Rudi Roth Maccabi Australia Scholarship Fund make a single grant each year for the next 20 years to emerging athletes to assist them on the path to achieving at an elite level.
Each year the grant will be made to the individual who best fits the criteria, and is deemed the most deserving by the selection panel. The first grant was made in January 2015.
Funding can be used to pay for such legitimate items as travel to tournaments, coaching expenses, registration or nomination fees and the like. Funds must be spent within the calendar year in which they are granted and copies of receipts or other formal documentation are required to be submitted for our financial records supporting the expenditure.
PREVIOUS WINNERS
2020: Yonatan Freund, Karate
Yonatan has been training karate since the age of 5, and in 2019 received his 2nd Dan Black Belt. A keen rugby player and cricketer, Yonatan focused on karate from the age of 12, when he has excelled and been Australian and National Champion for the last 4 years.
2019: Aimee Aharoni, Judo
Aimee has only been competing in juo for four years. She is highly motivated and dedicated to her sport which has resulted in great achievements.
2018 has been her strongest year to date: Aimee is the current Australian National Champion, has won Gold medals at three International Opens and was selected for the Australian Team to compete in Hong Kong and Macau. Aimee has had the opportunity to train in Israel for three months which is world renowned for its high level of competition. Aimee's 2018 International achievements consist of:
- Sydney International Open – 1st place in Junior Women U48kg
- Sydney International Open – 3rd place in Senior Women U48kg
- Melbourne International Open – 1st place in Junior Women U48kg
- Melbourne International Open – 2nd place in Open Women U48kg
- Queensland International Open – 2nd place in Junior Women U48kg
- Queensland International Open – 3rd place in Open Women U48kg
2018: Riley Hart, Cycling
2017 was a challenging year for Riley with a persistent knee injury and VCE. Regardless, he has achieved some excellent results over the last year, with the following highlights;
- Gold medal and under-19 Australian record at the 2017 Australian National Track Championships in Brisbane in the 4000m Team Pursuit.
- A win in the second Australian Junior Road World’s qualifying event, the Mersey Valley Tour. Riley scorched home in the stage one individual time trial to win from a stacked field of Australia and NZ’s top under-19 junior cyclists.
- Competing in the Elite category for the first time at the Victorian State Championships. His two rides in the individual pursuit, along with his qualifying ride gave him direct qualification to represent Victoria at 2018 Track Nationals. His ride of 4.29.234 was the fastest at states for over a decade.
- First Elite Gold Medal at 2018 Track National Championships in February as a member of the Victorian Team Pursuit. Victoria’s time of 3 minutes and 58.829 seconds secured Hart and his team a place in a select group of athletes who have ridden a sub-four-minute team pursuit.
2017: Marc Fridman, Billiards Snooker
In 2016 Marc became the youngest player to ever win the Maccabi Snooker Club championships at the age of 15. He also received an invitation from the President of the Australian Billiards and Snooker Council to represent team Australia against New Zealand (only 4 were selected). Marc is playing at a State and National level and continuously learning and improving. His future goals include competing for Australia at the World Championships.
2016: Alexandra Kiroi, Gymnastics
2015 was an outstanding year for Alexandra. It saw her winning 4 gold medals and 1 silver medal and becoming Australian Champion in her age group. Alexandra was also selected for the Commonwealth Games Training Squad. Her future goals include qualifying and competing in the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, as well as attending the 2017 Maccabiah Games.
2015: Lara Kaplan, Tennis
2014 was an outstanding year for Lara, capped off with her selection in the NSW under 12 state team that recently competed in Melbourne for the National States Tournament. Lara is ranked 2nd in NSW and 5th in Australia in her age group, having won tournaments during 2014 in both her age group (U12 South Australian Championships and Southern Districts June Junior Tournament) and the one above (U14 Canberra Open, Playford JT Gold and Seaside Silver).
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