The Maccabiah Games (aka the World Maccabiah Games; Hebrew: משחקי המכביה‎‎ or Hebrew: משחקי המכביה העולמית‎‎; plural Maccabiot) first held in 1932, are an international Jewish multi-sport event now held quadrennially in Israel. It is the third-largest sporting event in the world, with 9,000 athletes competing on behalf of 78 countries. The Maccabiah, which is organized by the Maccabi World Union, was declared a "Regional Sport Event" by, and under the auspices of and supervision of, the International Olympic Committee and international sports federations in 1960. The Maccabiah is often referred to as the "Jewish Olympics".