Just when we thought we had heard the last of Guma Aguiar the colorful American businessman made a stunning return to Israeli sports.
By ALLON SINAIHapeol Jerusalem 311(photo credit: Hapoel Jerusalem website)
Just when we thought we had heard the last of Guma Aguiar, the colorful American businessman made a stunning return to Israeli sports on Sunday when he was announced as the new owner of Hapoel Jerusalem basketball club.The 34-year-old first came to Hapoel’s rescue in August 2009 when he gave the cashstrapped club $1.5 million, a month after transferring Betar Jerusalem $4 million.However, he would exit Israeli sports in remarkable fashion at the start of last year after he was forcibly admitted to the Abarbanel Psychiatric Hospital following a mental breakdown.
In February, Hapoel chairman Danny Klein announced that the millionaire had agreed to transfer the club one million dollars a year.But Aguiar’s involvement took a dramatic step forward on Sunday when Klein declared that he now owns a 60 percent stake of the club after agreeing to transfer it $1.75 million in each of the next three seasons.“The directorate has voted in favor of making Aguiar the majority share owner,” Klein said.“We are very proud to have Guma as an owner. We have been given all the assurances we wanted and we are delighted by this development.”
