Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut
Encyclopedia
Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut, also known as Riyadi Club and Sporting Club is a Lebanese
Basketball
club based in Raouché
, Beirut
where both men's and women's tournaments are held every year.
An amateur side also exists, where participants can sign up for classes and train for preparation to become professional
basketball players. The club also holds chess
, martial arts
, dancing, and other tournaments.
, volleyball
, handball
, tennis
, and table tennis
(Ping Pong).
In 1947, Al Riyadi club moved from Raouché to Sanayeh. President Bechara El Khoury
, Prime Minister Riad El-Solh and Saeb Salam
attended the opening ceremony. They were also all present at Al Riyadi's first basketball game against Turkish Galatasaray S.K.
. The club finally returned to its current location in Raouché facing the Bain Militaire in 1954.
In 1965, Riyadi launched its first women basketball team to compete with other clubs that already had women teams at that time such as Homenetmen Beirut and Antranik SC
.
The closed court, named Saeb Salam Arena was accomplished in 1991 during the term of Club President Hisham Jaroudi and with assistance from club President Tammam Salam and many Al-Riyadi supporters from all across Lebanon.
Al Riyadi has also clinched Damascus
International Tournament Cup in 2004. Riyadi was crowned Champion of 16th Dubai
International Tournament which was held during the month of January, 2005. A year later in 2006, Riyadi preserved the title by winning the final by 20 points over the Egypt
ian Al Jazeera (83–63) in the final. Ismail Ahmad was named MVP of the tournament; Tony Madison
was the best scorer and the best 3-point shooter, and Fouad Abou Chakra claimed the title of best coach.
On May 1, 2005, the club was crowned Champions of Lebanon for the 2004–2005 season after 8 years of waiting. The team broke a record by winning 25 times in 25 games, to become the first team in the recent Lebanese Basketball History to win the championship without any loss. In the finals, Al Riyadi defeated Sagesse Beirut in Manara by 40 points (112–72), and ended the series by (3–0). After that, Al-Riyadi headed to Dubai, and participated in Hamdan Ben Rashed Tournament which was held during the month of May 2005. The club was crowned Champion of the Tournament after defeating Iran's Saba 99–83.
In November 2006, right before the 2006–2007 Lebanese League kicked off, the FLBB requested from Al-Riyadi to participate in King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein’s Tournament in Jordan instead of the Lebanese national team who at the time was not ready for such an intense competition. The FLBB thought that Riyadi players would best represent Lebanon against national teams taking part in the tournament including Jordan, Syria
, Palestine
, Kosovo
, Algeria
, Tunisia
and Egypt. The players brought the cup back to Lebanon after beating the Egypt national basketball team
in the finals (70–68).
In 2007, Al Riyadi preserved both the Lebanese Championship and the Lebanese Cup in a season without defeats. It defeated Blue Stars twice in both finals. Right before the kick off of the 2007–2008 season, Riyadi claimed the 17th Housameddine Hariri tournament in Saida
by beating Al Ahli Egypt (85–80).
In 2008, Iran's Saba Battery, the champions of 2006–2007 season's FIBA ASIA, found their way to the final stage of West Asian Basketball Association competitions, underway in the Iranian southern port city of Mahshahr
, to play against their rival, Lebanon's Al Riyadi.
In June 2011, Al Riyadi Beirut won their first-ever FIBA Asia Champions Cup medal
, by beating the two-time defending champions Mahram
91–82 at the PhilSports Arena, Manila
– Philippines
.
After his release in January 2008 by the Ukrainian Basketball League
, Fadi El Khatib headed towards Lebanon to sign with Blue Stars. However, Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut canceled his contract with the last and signed him up for the 2007–2008 Basketball season. El Khatib participated in many Arab tournament
However, Riyadi ladies team qualified for the first time in the club history to the final of the Lebanese league in 2006 -2007 after their third consecutive win over Homenetmen in the final four. Riyadi was crowned Lebanese cup 2006 champion after defeating Antranik by 5 points with a final score of 61 to 56.
Riyadi's Emma Eskedjian dominated the glass grabbing 14 rebounds and managed to score 18 points; while Nour Chkeir lead the team in scoring with 19 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Talar Marcusian nailed 4 3-pointers and the team's American
Jessica Butler grabbed 10 rebounds. As for Antranik, Nisrine Dandan was the best scorer of the game with 20 points while the team's import Shandra Brown scored 10 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.
Lebanese people
The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
Basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
club based in Raouché
Raouché
Raouché is a residential and commercial neighborhood in Beirut, Lebanon. It is known for its upscale apartment buildings, numerous restaurants, and cliff-side cafés that line Avenue de Paris, which forms part of the Corniche Beirut...
, Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
where both men's and women's tournaments are held every year.
An amateur side also exists, where participants can sign up for classes and train for preparation to become professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
basketball players. The club also holds chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
, martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
, dancing, and other tournaments.
History
The club's foundation began in 1934 by Hussein Sejaan, Hassan Ladki, Fouad Zantout, Youssef Shaker, Mustafa Shaker, Zouheir Yatim, Helmi Chehab, and Wafic Nsouli at that time. In 1945, the Ministry of the Interior gave permission to "Riyadi Club in Beirut" to get involved in various sports in its location in Raouché. Some of these sports were basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, and table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
(Ping Pong).
In 1947, Al Riyadi club moved from Raouché to Sanayeh. President Bechara El Khoury
Bechara El Khoury
Bechara El Khoury was the first post-independence President of Lebanon, holding office from 21 September 1943 to 18 September 1952, apart from an 11-day interruption in 1943...
, Prime Minister Riad El-Solh and Saeb Salam
Saeb Salam
Saeb Salam was a Lebanese politician, who served as Prime Minister four times between 1952 and 1973.Salam was the son of Salim Salam, the scion of a prominent Sunni Muslim family who was a prominent politician both under Ottoman rule and then during the French Mandate...
attended the opening ceremony. They were also all present at Al Riyadi's first basketball game against Turkish Galatasaray S.K.
Galatasaray S.K.
Galatasaray Spor Kulübü is a Turkish sports club based in Istanbul, most notable for its football section, also known as Galatasaray S.K.. It also fields teams in Athletics, Basketball, Wheelchair basketball, Volleyball, Water polo, Swimming, Rowing, Sailing, Judo, Bridge, Equestrian, Handball,...
. The club finally returned to its current location in Raouché facing the Bain Militaire in 1954.
In 1965, Riyadi launched its first women basketball team to compete with other clubs that already had women teams at that time such as Homenetmen Beirut and Antranik SC
Antranik SC
Antranik SC is a Lebanese-Armenian multi-sports club most known for its professional basketball program. It is located in Antelias, Matn District, Lebanon...
.
The closed court, named Saeb Salam Arena was accomplished in 1991 during the term of Club President Hisham Jaroudi and with assistance from club President Tammam Salam and many Al-Riyadi supporters from all across Lebanon.
Achievements
Al Riyadi Club won the Lebanese Basketball Championship 19 times, including the 2006–2007 championship. They also went undefeated for nearly two years. In 1998, Riyadi won the West Asian Basketball Championship (WABA) that took place in Jordan; which earned them an appearance at the Asian Basketball Championship that took place in Malaysia in the same year. The club was able to win a bronze medal through an organized performance by the players. Riyadi's Michael Cumberland was nominated top player in Asia, while the team’s captain Walid Dumyati was named the top point guard in Asia. Al Riyadi has also won Housameddine Hariri International Tournament nine times.Al Riyadi has also clinched Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
International Tournament Cup in 2004. Riyadi was crowned Champion of 16th Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
International Tournament which was held during the month of January, 2005. A year later in 2006, Riyadi preserved the title by winning the final by 20 points over the Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian Al Jazeera (83–63) in the final. Ismail Ahmad was named MVP of the tournament; Tony Madison
Tony Madison
Tony Madison is a retired professional American basketball player who played NCAA basketball for the New Orleans Privateers.He is most famous for playing in the Lebanese Basketball League for Tadamon Zouk Lebanese basketball club for many seasons. He last played for Champville SC in the same league...
was the best scorer and the best 3-point shooter, and Fouad Abou Chakra claimed the title of best coach.
On May 1, 2005, the club was crowned Champions of Lebanon for the 2004–2005 season after 8 years of waiting. The team broke a record by winning 25 times in 25 games, to become the first team in the recent Lebanese Basketball History to win the championship without any loss. In the finals, Al Riyadi defeated Sagesse Beirut in Manara by 40 points (112–72), and ended the series by (3–0). After that, Al-Riyadi headed to Dubai, and participated in Hamdan Ben Rashed Tournament which was held during the month of May 2005. The club was crowned Champion of the Tournament after defeating Iran's Saba 99–83.
In November 2006, right before the 2006–2007 Lebanese League kicked off, the FLBB requested from Al-Riyadi to participate in King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein’s Tournament in Jordan instead of the Lebanese national team who at the time was not ready for such an intense competition. The FLBB thought that Riyadi players would best represent Lebanon against national teams taking part in the tournament including Jordan, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
and Egypt. The players brought the cup back to Lebanon after beating the Egypt national basketball team
Egypt national basketball team
The Egypt national basketball team is the basketball side that represents Egypt in international competitions.-Eurobasket 1937:The Egyptians finished last at the second European basketball championship, the Eurobasket 1937 held by FIBA Europe continental federation...
in the finals (70–68).
In 2007, Al Riyadi preserved both the Lebanese Championship and the Lebanese Cup in a season without defeats. It defeated Blue Stars twice in both finals. Right before the kick off of the 2007–2008 season, Riyadi claimed the 17th Housameddine Hariri tournament in Saida
Sidon
Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah...
by beating Al Ahli Egypt (85–80).
In 2008, Iran's Saba Battery, the champions of 2006–2007 season's FIBA ASIA, found their way to the final stage of West Asian Basketball Association competitions, underway in the Iranian southern port city of Mahshahr
Mahshahr
Bandar-e Mahshahr is a city in and the capital of Mahshahr County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 109,927, in 24,110 families....
, to play against their rival, Lebanon's Al Riyadi.
In June 2011, Al Riyadi Beirut won their first-ever FIBA Asia Champions Cup medal
2011 FIBA Asia Champions Cup
The FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2011 was the 22nd staging of the FIBA Asia Champions Cup, the basketball club tournament of FIBA Asia. The tournament was held in Pasig, Philippines from May 28 to June 5, 2011...
, by beating the two-time defending champions Mahram
Mahram Tehran BC
Mahram Tehran Basketball Club is an Iranian basketball club based in Tehran, Iran. They compete in the Iranian Basketball Super League. they are Champions of Asia in 2009 and 2010.They are owned and sponsored by Mahram Food Company.-Iranian Super League:...
91–82 at the PhilSports Arena, Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
– Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
El Khatib joins Al Riyadi
See: Fadi El KhatibFadi El Khatib
Fadi El Khatib , born January 1, 1979, is a Lebanese basketball player currently playing for Champville SC in the Lebanese Basketball League...
After his release in January 2008 by the Ukrainian Basketball League
Ukrainian Basketball League
The Ukrainian Basketball League is the second tier, lower level professional basketball division in Ukraine. It is the division below the country's top pro basketball league, the Ukrainian Super League...
, Fadi El Khatib headed towards Lebanon to sign with Blue Stars. However, Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut canceled his contract with the last and signed him up for the 2007–2008 Basketball season. El Khatib participated in many Arab tournament
Roster
| Number | Player | Position | Height (m) |
| 3 |  Dewarick SpencerDewarick Spencer Dewarick Spencer is an American professional basketball player. He is 6'4" tall and he can play at the point guard and shooting guard positions.-Pro career:... |
SG Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
1.93 |
| 4 |  Jean Abdelnour |
SG Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
1.98 |
| 5 | Hussein Tawbe Hussein Tawbe Hussein Tawbe is a Lebanese basketball player. He currently plays for Sagesse of the Lebanese Basketball League. Tawbe is also a member of the Lebanon national basketball team, with whom he competed with at the 2006 FIBA World Championship and FIBA Asia Championship 2007. He previously played for... |
PF Power forward Power forward is a position in some team sports:*Power forward *Power forward *Power forward... |
1.98 |
| 6 | Ali Mahmoud Ali Mahmoud Ali Mahmoud is a Lebanese-Canadian basketball player. He currently plays for Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut.-Career:Mahmoud was born on May 29, 1983 in Ottawa, Canada to Toufic and Gina Mahmoud, who had immigrated to Canada.... |
PG Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that... |
1.83 |
| 7 | Joe Vogel Joe Vogel For American author, see Joseph VogelJoseph Vogel is an American-Lebanese basketball player. Vogel attended Colorado State. Upon graduation, he was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1996 NBA Draft... |
C Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well... (C) |
2.11 |
| 8 | Omar El Turk Omar El Turk Omar El Turk is a Lebanese Canadian basketball player and member of the Lebanon national basketball team.Immigrating to Canada, he played with Montreal, Canada's Dawson College Blues... |
SG Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
1.88 |
| 9 | Bilal Tabbara |
SF Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall... |
1.97 |
| 10 |  Ismael Ahmad |
PF Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low... |
2.03 |
| 11 | Hassan Lakkis |
G | 1.90 |
| 12 | Ali Kanaan Ali Kanaan Ali Kanaan is a Lebanese Canadian basketball player currently playing for Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut and Lebanon national basketball team.... |
PF Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low... |
2.06 |
| 13 | Abdallah Hijazi Abdallah Hijazi Abdallah Hijazi is a Lebanese basketball player with Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut of the Lebanese Basketball League.-Career:2002-2003: Al-Fida Club Saida 2003-2004: Champville SC2004–present: Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut... |
SF Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall... |
1.95 |
| 14 | Billy Pharis Billy Pharis William Pharis known as Billy Pharis is Lebanese American basketball player.He is a six-foot-nine-inch tall Forward currently playing with Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut and Lebanon national basketball team.... |
F | 2.06 |
| 15 | Amir Saoud |
G | 1.86 |
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Fouad Abou Chacra |
| Assistant Coach | Jad Fattouh Tigran Gyokchyan |
| Director | Jawdat Shaker |
Al Riyadi's Women Section
The Riyadi's Basketball team for women was formed in 1965, and competed against few Lebanese women's teams.However, Riyadi ladies team qualified for the first time in the club history to the final of the Lebanese league in 2006 -2007 after their third consecutive win over Homenetmen in the final four. Riyadi was crowned Lebanese cup 2006 champion after defeating Antranik by 5 points with a final score of 61 to 56.
Riyadi's Emma Eskedjian dominated the glass grabbing 14 rebounds and managed to score 18 points; while Nour Chkeir lead the team in scoring with 19 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Talar Marcusian nailed 4 3-pointers and the team's American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Jessica Butler grabbed 10 rebounds. As for Antranik, Nisrine Dandan was the best scorer of the game with 20 points while the team's import Shandra Brown scored 10 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.
Uniforms
See also
- LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
- BeirutBeirutBeirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
- RaouchéRaouchéRaouché is a residential and commercial neighborhood in Beirut, Lebanon. It is known for its upscale apartment buildings, numerous restaurants, and cliff-side cafés that line Avenue de Paris, which forms part of the Corniche Beirut...
- List of Lebanese people
- Lebanon national basketball teamLebanon national basketball teamThe Lebanon national basketball team is the basketball team representing Lebanon in international competitions.-History:The first time basketball was ever played in Lebanon was in the mid-1920s in the American University of Beirut...
- Fadi El KhatibFadi El KhatibFadi El Khatib , born January 1, 1979, is a Lebanese basketball player currently playing for Champville SC in the Lebanese Basketball League...