The Lebanese men's basketball team claimed the title of the "Beirut Cup" organized by "Global Active Sports" under the supervision of the Lebanese Basketball Federation, with participation from four teams: Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, and Syria. Iraq finished in second place, Palestine in third, and Syria in fourth.
The final match was contested between Lebanon and Syria, resulting in a victory for Lebanon with a score of (94-83). The match witnessed an attendance of over four thousand spectators at the Ghazir court. Among those present were the President of the Olympic Committee Pierre Jalakh, his deputy Assad Nakhal, Secretary General Jodet Shakir, the First Vice President of the Asian Federation and President of the Lebanese Basketball Federation Akram Halabi, members of the federation, heads of delegations from the participating countries, the chairman of the organizing committee and the Secretary General of the federation lawyer Charbel Michel Rizk, sports federation heads and members, the Lebanese basketball community, and a crowd of journalists and media.
Lebanon achieved its third consecutive victory after defeating Iraq in the opening match and Palestine on the second day, finishing with a perfect record as the only team that did not lose throughout the tournament. The final match concluded with Lebanon maintaining a clean slate.
Lebanon is set to face Syria in an important official match within the "first window" of the qualifiers for the Asian Cup finals on Friday, February 23, at 6 pm in the Syrian capital, Damascus. Lebanon asserted that it was the best and strongest team in the tournament despite several absences, some of whom will be present in Friday's match.
During the match, the performance of the Syrian team varied from the previous two games with the participation of the naturalized player Javon Black, whose presence uplifted the spirits of his teammates and showcased his skills as a prominent player and scorer. This was reflected in the score at the end of the first quarter, which was in favor of Lebanon by a slim margin of one basket, 19 against 17 for Syria, with Black contributing 7 points.
Lebanon dominated the second quarter, with standout performances from Ali Mansour and promising player Brian Mansour, leading to a 37-23 advantage midway. Despite Norville Bell being on the bench, Haik Gyokjian and Gerard Hadidian performed well against the towering duo of Abdul Wahab al-Hamwi and Kamal Kanbalat until Bell's return, finishing the first half ahead by 14 points, 50-36.
Syria improved in the third quarter, led by Black and Andrei Mickelson, while Lebanon showed an inexplicable relief in their lead. This allowed Syrian players under Argentinian coach Facundo Betraccio to gradually close the gap, reaching a 4-point difference by the end of the third quarter, with Lebanon ahead 72-68. The gap narrowed to a single basket at 81-79, but the Lebanese team knew how to maintain their lead until the final whistle, securing the win at 94-83.
Six players from the Lebanese team scored 10 points or more: Norville Bell (14 points with 11 rebounds), Sergio Aldrouh (13), and both Ali Mansour and Amir Saud (12), along with Brian Mansour and Jad Khalil each scoring 10 points. From the Syrian side, Black finished the game with 38 points and 6 assists, while Abdul Wahab al-Hamwi added 12 points.
**Comments from Players**
Lebanese player Ali Mansour stated post-match, "The game was good; we presented a performance worthy of the Lebanese team, though there were some unstable periods. The important thing is the win and preparation for the Asian qualifiers starting in a few days, with hopes for the return of the other players to the squad." Meanwhile, Syrian player Majd Arabsha noted, "The match was good and better for us; we performed better than in previous matches. The key takeaway is that the tournament was a good setup for the Asian finals."
In conclusion, a ceremony was held to award the winning teams. Halabi presented commemorative gifts to the tournament referees and then, alongside his first deputy Doumot Kallab and Secretary General Rizk, awarded the bronze medals to the Palestinian team, the silver medals to the Iraqi team, and the gold medals to the Lebanese team. Halabi also handed the first-place trophy to Lebanese team captain Amir Saud.
**Tournament Awards**
- First Place: Lebanon
- Second Place: Iraq
- Third Place: Palestine
- Best Player: Norville Bell (Lebanon)
- Best Three-Point Shooter: Demario Mayfield (Iraq)
- Top Scorer: Jamal Miali (Palestine)
- Most Impactful Player: Ali Mansour (Lebanon)
- Best Coach: Serbian Milan Serbic (Iraq)
Additionally, during the halftime break, the organizing company "Global Active Sports" honored representatives of the sponsoring companies with commemorative plaques as a token of appreciation. The head of the Iraqi delegation also presented two plaques to Halabi and the organizing company.
