Akram Al-Halabi, the president of the Lebanese Basketball Federation, has been re-elected as the first vice president of the Asian Basketball Confederation for a consecutive four-year term after first assuming the prestigious continental position in June 2019. His re-election serves as a testament to the trust in his character, dedication, and clear impact on the development and success of Lebanese basketball both locally and internationally.
An official statement released by the Secretary-General of the Asian Confederation and its Executive Director, Hagop Khajirian, on Thursday, May 25, 2023, announced the election of the Asian Confederation Executive Office for the 2023-2027 term during the General Assembly held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The executive board consists of 13 members, including two women.
The new executive board members of the Asian Confederation are: Indian Dr. Kumbardi Govindaraj (President), Chinese Yao Ming (Chairman of the Board), Lebanese Akram Al-Halabi (First Vice President), Filipino Alfredo Panlilio (Second Vice President), Lebanese Hagop Khajirian (General Secretary and Executive Director), Abdul Latif Al-Fardan Al-Nuaimi (Treasurer), Chinese Shou Lan, and representatives from the six geographical sub-regions of the largest continent in the world, including Syrian Tareef Qotrash, Abai Al-Bamysov (Kazakhstan), Japanese Yuko Mitsuya, Saudi Dr. Ghassan Tachkandi, Abhijit Sarkar (Bangladesh), and Indonesian Bo Kho Tai.
Al-Halabi, born in 1968, has led the Lebanese Basketball Federation since July 2018 and was re-elected in December 2020. Over the past five years, he has driven Lebanese basketball towards numerous successes, notably the qualification of three teams (men's, under-18, and under-16) for the World Cup, a remarkable achievement for Lebanese basketball, in addition to the women's team reaching the elite level in Asia and the men's team winning the Arab Championship last year.
Al-Halabi and the members of the Lebanese Federation continue to hold international training courses for coaches and referees regularly, as well as organize annual championships for all levels for men and women, along with competitions for all age categories for both genders. These efforts have garnered significant public interest and attendance during matches, especially finals, ensuring the continued brilliance of the sport and its long-term success.
