The Lebanese national team achieved its second victory against the Palestinian team with a difference of 29 points, with the quarters ending (21-15, 46-24, 64-40) and a final score of (84-55) on the second day of the Beirut Basketball Cup, held at the Ghazir Club under the auspices of the Lebanese Basketball Federation, organized by "Global Active Sports" in front of an audience exceeding 4,000 spectators. Attending were the first vice president of the Asian Federation and president of the Lebanese Basketball Federation Akram Halabi, heads and members of the delegations from participating countries, the head of the organizing committee and the secretary-general of the Lebanese Basketball Federation, lawyer Charbel Michel Rizk, members of the basketball federation, and the basketball family.
**Match Overview**
The Palestinian team started well and managed to lead 11-10 midway through the first quarter, but the Lebanese team regained control and finished the quarter ahead 21-15 after monitoring Jamal Mialy, the best player of the "Palestinian team" in their first match against Syria. Lebanese coach Jad Haj continued to make substitutions, rotating all players for scoring, complemented by organized defense that restricted the Palestinian team to only 9 points compared to 25 for Lebanon, increasing the lead to 22 points by halftime with a score of 46-24.
Lebanon's dominance continued, as the Croatian coach of the Palestinian team, Luanis Diamantakos, struggled to halt the offensive surge of the Lebanese players, who increased the lead to 24 points at 64-40. In the final quarter, Lebanon maintained the momentum, ultimately finishing the match with a 29-point lead, ending at 84-55, a reflection of their defensive strength (16 steals and 7 blocks compared to 11 steals without any blocks), control of rebounds (51 to 37), impressive teamwork (23 assists to 10), and good focus (16 turnovers compared to 22).
Three Lebanese players each scored 13 points: Gérard Hadidian, Haik Ghiokjian, and promising player Karim Ratil, with the first also grabbing 13 rebounds. Norvile Bill added 12 points and 9 rebounds, while Amir Saud contributed 11 points and 4 assists. From the Palestinian side, Jamal Mialy scored 14 points, and Mohammad Moussa added 12 points along with 10 rebounds.
**Statements**
Lebanese player Ali Mazhar stated after the match: "We learned from the mistakes of yesterday and put on a good performance, especially defensively, which helped us achieve this result. We wish the Palestinian team success in their next match."
Palestinian player Salim Sakaikini said: "We were aware of the strength of the Lebanese team, and we hoped to play a good game against them, but everyone knows the circumstances our team is going through and the difficulty of gathering the players. Nevertheless, this participation is a great opportunity in preparation for the Asian Cup qualifiers."
During the halftime break between Lebanon and Palestine, Halabi, alongside representatives from "Global Active Sports," Ibrahim Dsouqi and Samar Saada, presented a commemorative shield to the president of the Palestinian Federation, Ibrahim Habash, as a token of love and appreciation, in the presence of the secretary-general of the Lebanese Federation, lawyer Charbel Michel Rizk. In turn, Habash presented a commemorative shield to both Halabi, Dsouqi, and Saada.
All teams will rest on Monday, with two matches scheduled for Tuesday as follows:
- 15:30 - Iraq vs. Palestine
- 17:45 - Lebanon vs. Syria
The first day of the tournament concluded with Lebanon winning against Iraq (71-68) and Palestine defeating Syria (66-64).
