Sport in Lebanon
Because of Lebanon's unique geography, both summer and winter sports thrive in the country. In fact, during autumn and spring it is sometimes possible to engage in both activities on the same day; for example, skiing in the morning and swimming in the afternoon.[1][2]
Lebanon hosted the
Autosports
Rally
Rally of Lebanon, which is organized by the Automobile et Touring Club du Liban (ATCL), has been a sport in Lebanon since the late 1960s.[citation needed]
Grand Prix
In 2001, Solidere revealed plans to build a racing circuit in the Beirut Central District in a bid to stage Formula One races in Lebanon. The plan was to make the Beirut Formula One the only in-city Grand Prix outside Monaco. The plans never saw fruition. However, Lebanon entered the world of international motor sport in 2004 with the formation of the Lebanese A1 Grand Prix team that included driver Basil Shaaban, making Lebanon the first Arab nation to participate in the World Cup of Motorsport.[citation needed]
Athletics
Jogging
Jogging is a popular sport, especially in the capital along the Corniche Beirut, in the Horsh Beirut and the Shoreline Walk in Beirut Central District.[citation needed]
Marathons
The Beirut International Marathon (BIM) has been an annual, international event since 2003. It is held every fall, drawing runners from Lebanon and abroad.[citation needed]
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a sport in Lebanon. Bodybuilders like Samir Bannout, Fouad Abiad and Mohammad Bannout, won international competitions.[citation needed]
Combat Sports
Greco-Roman wrestling
Martial arts
Martial arts are also combat sports in Lebanon.[citation needed]
Equine sports
The Beirut Hippodrome, a horse-racing facility built in 1885, is once again operating and regaining its former popularity after years of neglect during the war. Additionally, private clubs have been established in Lebanon, such as The Lebanese Equestrian Club (CHL) also known as Club Hippique Libanais, the Buldozer[7]
Mountain sports
Racquet sports
Tennis
According to the 13th century French tale, L'histoire d'Apollonius de Tyr, the
Table tennis : Www.lttf.com.lb
Team sports
Association football
Football is the most popular sport in Lebanon.[11] It is governed by the Lebanese Football Association (LFA).[12] The country's most supported clubs are Nejmeh and Ansar,[13] with Ahed gaining popularity in recent years.[14]
While the
The top division of the Lebanese football league system is the Lebanese Premier League, in which twelve teams compete.[18] Cup competitions include the Lebanese FA Cup, the national domestic cup competition, the Lebanese Super Cup, held between the winner of the league and the FA Cup, and the Lebanese Federation Cup, a pre-season tournament in which the Lebanese Premier League teams compete.[19]
In
Basketball
Basketball is one of the most popular sports in Lebanon. In basketball, the main federation is the Lebanese Basketball Federation it's a member of FIBA Asia. The first time basketball was played was in the mid-1920s. The Lebanon national basketball team has qualified three consecutive times to the FIBA World Championship in 2002, 2006, 2010 and ranked 24th in the world and the women national team is ranked 61st in the world. Lebanon owns its own basketball league: Lebanese Basketball League for men and women in addition to the Lebanese Basketball Cup.[citation needed]
Famous basketball players include:
- From Lebanon: Fadi El Khatib and Elie Mechantaf
- From the Lebanese diaspora: Rony Seikaly, Brian Beshara and Matt Freije
- Naturalized Lebanese players from the United States: Joe Vogel and Jackson Vroman
Futsal
The Lebanese play mini football which is very similar or identical to futsal. The Lebanon national futsal team represents Lebanon in international futsal competitions and is controlled by the Futsal Commission of the Federation Libanaise de Football Association. It is one of the rising teams in Asia. In December 2007, Lebanon ranked 34 in the Futsal World Ranking, the sixth highest ranking Asian team that year. In 2010, Lebanon ranked 41 and in 2011, the country ranked 48.[23]
Rugby league
Rugby league is a sport in Lebanon. The Lebanese Rugby League Federation is based in Safra in Lebanon. They are Full Members of the Rugby League European Federation and also Full Members of the Rugby League International Federation. The Lebanon national rugby league team qualified and played in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup, and nearly qualified for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, but were narrowly beaten by Samoa in their final game. In 2011, Lebanon again nearly qualified for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup but lost to Italy who became the 14th and final nation to qualify for the event.[24] In 2015 however they finally qualified for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, for what was just their second World Cup, after beating South Africa 2–0 in a 2-match qualifying play-off held in Pretoria. The Lebanon Rugby League ("LRL") National Championship is the leading domestic rugby league competition in Lebanon, and consists of 4 clubs (Tripoli City RLFC, Immortals RLFC, Jounieh RLFC and Wolves FC). The second tier of competition, known as the Collegiate Rugby League ("CRL") National Championship, consists strictly of teams representing Lebanese universities and institutes of higher learning. The CRL is divided into two Divisions based upon longevity & success of the institution's Rugby League programme, and the CRL: Playoffs converge into a single CRL Finals Series. Rugby League is popular amongst Lebanese schools, with regional Schools Rugby League ("SRL") championships held in "North Lebanon" and also in "Beirut & Mount Lebanon" regions, where the winners (aka: "Premiers") of each region face off to be crowned the "National Champion"; contested at both U14s and U16s level.[25] Lebanon has also sent schools to compete in regional international schools tournaments, and has hosted junior international sides from throughout the Middle East/North Africa region.[26]
Rugby union
Rugby union in Lebanon dates back to the French colonial period.[citation needed]
Touch football
Volleyball
Water sports
Swimming, water skiing, yachting, sailing, scuba diving, and windsurfing are practiced along the Mediterranean coast of Lebanon, especially on that stretch between Beirut and Tripoli.[30]
Diving
Diving is a sport in Lebanon with wrecks to explore.[31]
Water skiing
Lebanese water skier Silvio Chiha snagged the gold medal at the Asia-Australasia Oceania (AAO) water skiing championship that happened in August 2012 in Chuncheon, South Korea. [DailyStar]
An international water ski championship was held in the Saint George Bay in Beirut, beginning in 1955, but the event was discontinued at the beginning of the war.[32]
- Fishing
- Jet skiing
- Sailing
- Snorkeling
- Wind surfing
Wake boarding
Weightlifting
Since the mid-20th century,
Winter sports
Lebanon boasts six
Skiing
See also
References
- ^ Boueri, Boutros, and Sayad. Lebanon A to Z: A Middle Eastern Mosaic, page 57
- ^ Aikman, David. The Mirage of Peace: Understanding the Never-Ending Conflict in the Middle East, page 48
- ^ Sheehan and Abdul Latif, Lebanon, page 116
- ^ "Lebanon to host Arab Games in 2015 - Arab News". Archived from the original on 17 December 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ "Olympic Council of Asia to give Beirut a chance to keep 2009 Winter Asian Games – AP Worldstream – HighBeam Research". 2 November 2012. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ -Caraccioli, J., Caraccioli, T. and Mondale. Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games,
- ^ "Welcome to CHL Lebanese Equestrian Club also known as Club Hippique Libanais". Chl-lebanon.com. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ Gall, Timothy L. Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life, page 634
- ^ Carter, Dunston, and Thomas. Syria and Lebanon, page 296
- ^ David, Gordon C. Lebanon, the Fragmented Nation, page 131
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
- ^ "الاتحاد اللبناني لكرة القدم". lebanesefootballassociation.com. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
- ^ "Great Asian Derbies – Al Ansar SC vs Nejmeh SC (Beirut)". GhanaSoccernet. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
- ^ "The Hezbollah Club". BabaGol. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
- ^ "How Lebanon qualified for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup". Socceroos. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
- ^ "Group E: Lebanon 4-1 DPR Korea". 3 May 2019. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
- ^ "Lebanon - List of Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
- ^ "Lebanon - List of Cup Winners". RSSSF. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
- ^ Lebanon, Football. "العهد الى نهائي كأس الإتحاد الآسيوي لأول مرة في تاريخه". football-lebanon.com. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
- ^ "Asian Club Competitions 2005". RSSSF. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
- ^ "Al Ahed clinch historic title". www.the-afc.com. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
- ^ "Futsal World Ranking". Futsalworldranking.be. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ "Lebanon's Rugby World Cup bid ends with draw – Sports , Rugby – THE DAILY STAR". Dailystar.com.lb. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ a b "Member Nations – Federation of International Touch". SportsTG. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ "RLEF". Archived from the original on 11 May 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
- ^ Jaoudeh, John Abou. "Lebanese Volleyball". LebVolley.com. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ Riordan, James. Sport in Soviet Society: Development of Sport and Physical, page 384
- ^ Postal, Silver J., and Silver R. Encyclopedia of Jews in sports, page 346
- ^ Gedeon and Bustros. Who's Who in Lebanon, 1995–1996: Volume 13
- ^ Ham, Anthony. Middle East, page 451
- ^ Aramco World Magazine: Volume 23; Volume 23
- ^ "Sport in the USSR," Soviet Union magazine, 1974