Back in October 2020, Antonine University (UA) and the Lebanese Basketball Federation (FLB) signed a cooperation agreement to develop and enhance the quality of the basketball sport in Lebanon through preparations, training, and scientific research. Recognizing the popularity of the game, UA is aware that athletes must acquire the proper skills and sports education so that they can lead and become “champions.” Hence, professional coaches and students from the Faculty of Sport Sciences at UA have worked closely with the Lebanese national basketball team to enhance their personal skill development. They followed exceptional training programs and strategies to assist them in achieving their peak performance.

On November 29, 2020, Lebanon has been officially qualified for the International Basketball Federation Asia Cup 2021 (FIBA) after winning over Iraq with a final score of 78–69. This victory was the fourth in a row for the Lebanese team who previously won against Bahrain with a score of 116–73 and against India with 115–60 for the favor of our Lebanese team. With such outstanding performance and winnings, Lebanon has become one of the first teams to qualify directly for the FIBA Asia Cup leading its group with a 100% winning percentage in the Qualifiers.

While celebrating the victory of the Lebanese team, Antonine University cannot but recognize the efforts of Mr. Georges Assaf, a lecturer at UA – Faculty of Sport Sciences (FSS) and Director of the European University Diploma for Physical Preparation (DUEPP) program, as well as Mr. Alfred Khoury and Mr. Khalil Nassar who are also lecturers and specialized in training at the Faculty of Sport Sciences at UA. UA is also proud to be accomplishing one of its core missions, which is enabling its students to become qualified women and men serving their society. In this context, we would like to thank our alumni Mr. Christian Moujabber, holder of a European University Diploma for Physical Preparation (DUEPP), as well as our current students at FSS Mr. Joe Zaiter and Mr. Elie Abou Moussa.

In the fifth game, the Lebanese team will be playing against Bahrain on February 19, 2021. UA will be supporting the champions in every possible way and we cannot wait to see the Lebanese team make their way to the summit.