On March 3, 2023, Antonine University (UA), represented by its Rector, Fr. Michel Jalakh, and the Lebanese Badminton Federation (LBF), represented by its President, the Vice President of the Badminton World Federation (BWF), Mr. Jassem Kanso, have gladly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in order to strengthen their partnership in promoting and advancing badminton as a university sport in Lebanon. The signing ceremony took place on UA’s Hadat–Baabda Campus in the presence of the LBF’s Vice President, Ms. Rola Majzoub Kabbani; its Secretary General, the Regional Director of Operations (RDO) at Badminton Asia, and the Lebanese Badminton National Team Head Coach, Mr. Paul Roukoz; and the Dean of the Faculty of Sport Sciences (FSS), Dr. Antonio Soutou.

This agreement aims to foster collaboration in the development of badminton by empowering and training UA students, which will help the sport gain more local traction and activity on campus. The federation will also be able to benefit from the University’s sporting amenities, including its courts and athletic facilities.

At the end of the meeting, Mr. Kanso awarded UA the “golden certificate,” making it the first university in West Asia and Asia to receive this academic accreditation and international recognition for implementing the “BWF Shuttle Time University Course” into the FSS’s curriculum.