Al-Riyadi Beirut officially announced its withdrawal from the Lebanese Basketball Cup competition. The club's president, Mazen Tabara, confirmed the team's withdrawal in a press conference held on Tuesday. He expressed gratitude to Al-Riyadi fans for their support following the sanctions imposed on the club by the International Basketball Federation after the violent incidents that occurred during Al-Riyadi's recent match against Al-Hikma in the West Asia Basketball Championship semifinals, "WASL."
Tabara stated that Al-Riyadi incurred severe fines (50,000 Swiss Francs), and mentioned that he requested an expansion of the investigation into the incidents of the Al-Hikma match. He revealed that the donations received from the club's fans did not fully cover the substantial fine.
He clarified that Al-Riyadi will continue to play at the Nohad Nouhad Stadium, which hosted the recent match against Al-Hikma, emphasizing that the club has fans across Lebanon and the Arab world and will play normally in any venue in Lebanon. He urged the club's supporters to refrain from escalating tensions on social media, saying, "We are working to correct mistakes and increase security in the stadium."
