The Lebanese Federation officially announced the match between Lebanon and Jamaica in the second global group of the Davis Cup, which will take place on Friday and Saturday, September 15 and 16, at the main court of the Lebanese Automobile and Touring Club in Kaslik. The official announcement was made during a crowded press conference held at the host club's headquarters. Present were the president of the Lebanese Federation, Oliver Faisal, vice president Hassan Daouk, secretary-general Roger Bassil, treasurer Desiree Khalifeh, president of the Jamaican Federation John Azar, club board member Nseeb Haddad representing the club, the international federation's appointed observer Chris Mann (of British nationality), captain of the Lebanese team Fadi Youssef, coach Shawn Karam, team manager Johnny Abdallah, players from both teams, and members of the press and media.
Faisal opened with the national anthem and then gave a welcoming speech, expressing hopes for the Lebanese team's success against Jamaica and thanking everyone who will contribute to the success of the match, from the organizing club to the technical staff of the Lebanese team led by captain Fadi Youssef, Shawn Karam, and manager Johnny Abdallah, along with the players. He added that he hopes for a victory over Jamaica as a step towards returning to the first international group, pointing out that Lebanon faces Jamaica for the first time in the history of its participation in the Davis Cup. He also thanked the press and media, particularly the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International for broadcasting the matches live.
He continued, "We will do our utmost to deliver an exceptional performance, supported by the audience that will accompany the Lebanese team." He added, "The draw will take place at 11:30 AM on Thursday, September 14, at the Lebanese Automobile and Touring Club. The opening ceremony will be held at 12 PM on Friday, September 15, followed by two singles matches, and on Saturday, September 16, a doubles match will take place at 11 AM, followed by two singles matches if necessary, as the winner of 3 matches secures the overall victory. We are accustomed to hosting Davis Cup matches, and I invite the Lebanese audience to attend in large numbers to support the Lebanese team."
Regarding the team composition, captain Youssef stated that the Lebanese team consists of players Benjamin Hassan (ranked No. 1), Hadi Habib (ranked No. 2), Hassan Ibrahim (ranked No. 3), Mustafa Al-Natour, and Louay Maki, training daily. Jamaican team captain Melville Spence reported that their team includes players Blake Bicknell (ranked No. 1), John Sheen (ranked No. 2), Roland Phillips (ranked No. 3), Daniel Azar, and David Goldsmith.
John Azar, the president of the Jamaican Federation, briefly stated: "I am pleased to be in Lebanon, and I have Lebanese roots. Your country is very beautiful, and I hope the match with Lebanon is of a high level. Greetings to the Lebanese people."
In response to a question, Nseeb Haddad, a board member of the Lebanese Automobile and Touring Club, mentioned: "The club's relationship with the Tennis Federation is historical, and we welcome everyone to our club. We hope Lebanon wins in the confrontation with Jamaica; tennis has held a prominent place in the club for many decades."
In response to another question, vice president of the Lebanese Federation Hassan Daouk stated: "The federation is a hive of activity, and the calendar of local and international activities is busy, including 7 international tournaments for juniors and 35 local tournaments across the country."
