text: Israel may not appear to be an obvious place to go for a sporting holiday , but this young and energetic country has dramatic open spaces , miles of accessible coastline , and a burgeoning range of sporting facilities and events , from white-water rafting in the Golan to world-class scuba diving in the Red Sea .
  
  ###
  
  Israel 's lack of coastline and sporting facilities has led to a declining interest in outdoor activities .