The Palestinian basketball team is participating in the Beirut Cup, which is being held from February 17 to 20, under the auspices of the Lebanese Basketball Federation and organized by "Global Active Sports." This event is significant for the participating teams as they prepare for the Asian qualifiers that begin in the last week of this month. The Palestinian participation is of considerable importance, despite the challenges posed by the Israeli aggression against Gaza and the West Bank. The "Fida'i" team will compete in Group B, facing the teams of Syria and Oman, while Group A includes Lebanon, Iraq, and Kuwait.
Ibrahim Habash, the president of the Palestinian Basketball Federation, affirmed, "The sports message is of great significance, and we want to show the world that despite the aggression on Gaza and the West Bank, and the pain and suffering of our people, this does not diminish our spirits or weaken our determination to continue and hold onto life." Habash continued, "On this occasion, we would like to thank the Lebanese Basketball Federation and the organizing company, 'Global Active Sports,' for extending this invitation to the Palestinian team to participate in the Beirut Cup, which is very important for gathering the team initially and preparing it through competition with strong Arab teams, lending us some readiness ahead of the upcoming Asian qualifiers for the Asian Cup."
Regarding the elements of the Palestinian team and its ability to participate with a complete roster, he stated, "The Palestinian team will not be complete due to some players' circumstances related to the war, and some due to work commitments. Therefore, we will rely on blending experienced players such as Tamer Habash, Salim Skakini, and Muhammad Moussa with some young players to create a good lineup." On the team captain, Sani Skakini, who plays for Al-Riyadi Beirut, the president of the Palestinian Federation said: "We are definitely in contact with Sani, as he is the team captain and a great player, but so far we have not received his response regarding whether he will be with us in the upcoming phase."
The Palestinian team will compete in the Beirut Cup against Syria and Oman, and in the first Asian window, they will be in Group D, facing Jordan on the 23rd at Prince Hamzah Hall in the Hussein Sports City, just three days after the Beirut Cup concludes. They will then play against the Iraqi team on the 26th in the same venue. It is worth noting that the Saudi team is also in Group D and will face the Palestinian team in the second window of the Asian qualifiers.
Regarding the participation in the Beirut Cup in preparation for these important matches, Habash said, "The two matches against Syria and Oman are very important in terms of the coaching staff’s work and finding the necessary harmony; however, initially, it is an opportunity to gather the team, and then we will proceed with preparation to show ourselves as needed in the Beirut Cup, which will help us increase readiness for the two Asian matches, where we will try to secure a victory in at least one of them."
