Matkot
Encyclopedia
Matkot is a popular paddle ball game in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

 similar to beach tennis
Beach tennis
For another sport called "beach paddleball", see Matkot. For other sports called "paddleball", see Paddleball .Beach Tennis USA takes the fun and fast-paced sport of tennis and combines it with the sun, sea and sand of the beach....

, often referred to as the country's national sport.

Matkot is a non-competitive beach game in which two or more players hit a small ball back and forth using paddles. The sport is named after the racquet, the matka; the origin of this word is unclear.

The racquets are traditionally made of wood, although sometimes the handles are reinforced with a plastic covering. The head of a racquet may vary somewhat in size and shape. The heads are circular and about 30 centimetres (11.8 in) in diameter. The racquet handles are short, and with very little trunk between the handle and the racquet head.

The standard ball used is the same ball as is used in squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...

. However, novice and intermediate players sometimes use a ball that is similar in size to a squash ball, but lighter and/or bouncier.

The game has developed a moderate level of popularity outside of Israel as a participatory sport, particularly where there is either a strong beach culture (e.g. Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, where it is also highly popular, but more commonly known as frescoball), or a significant number of Israelis living abroad (e.g. Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

).

See also

  • Racquet sport
    Racquet sport
    Racquet sports are those where players use racquets to hit a ball or other object.-List of racquet sports:* Badminton* Ball badminton* Basque pelota** Frontenis** Jai alai* Beach tennis** Matkot* Bilbocatch* Frescoball* Lacrosse...

  • Sport in Israel
  • Israeli inventions and discoveries
    Israeli inventions and discoveries
    Israeli inventions and discoveries have received worldwide attention since the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Several of the discoveries included in this list were made by Israelis while staying at overseas research institutes.- Chemistry :...

  • Culture of Israel
    Culture of Israel
    The culture of Israel developed long before the foundation of the State of Israel in 1948 and combines the heritage of secular and religious lives. Much of the diversity in Israel's culture comes from the diversity of its population...

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