Nice to finally see the chance for a Lebanese team to play against one of the top teams in Euroleague.
BEIRUT: Lebanese champions Riyadi Beirut are set to face 2013 Euroleague Champions and Greek giants Olympiakos in October, during a friendly basketball tournament hosted by Rethymno in Greece, from Oct. 3-5. Alongside Riyadi and Olympiakos, the tournament features both Greek A1 sides PAOK and hosts A.G.O Rethymno.
“It’s a great opportunity for our club and the Lebanese basketball. We are working under the same strategy that moves Riyadi to another level. We are looking for new horizons in Europe, and two years ago we participated in Groningen tournament in Netherlands,” club manager Mazen Tabbara told The Daily Star.
Lebanese basketball has reached great heights in the past decade through the men’s national team, which took part in the World Championship three times and faced several top nations like Serbia, Spain, Lithuania, Turkey, Argentina, and France. But the local clubs have rarely played at this advanced level except for Sagesse’s memorable participation in the Mcdonalds Championship (the World club’s championship) in 2000.
Riyadi participated in the Groningen friendly tournament in the Netherlands two seasons ago, but the upcoming tournament in October will see the Lebanese champions face one of the best clubs in European and Greek history, Olympiakos.
“It’s very important to see our level in comparison to the European level. This is a great chance for our club and players to face such teams with great history,” Tabbara added.
“Lebanese basketball deserves to play at his level after all its improvement in the recent years. Our main aim is to raise the Lebanese flag once again in the biggest scenes.”
Olympiakos Piraeus have won the Euroleague three times, with the last coming in 2013, while they have won the Greek Championship 10 times.
Last year, they reached the quarterfinals of the Euroleague before falling at the hands of Real Madrid in the best-of-five-series 3-2, and they also lost to traditional rivals Panathinaikos in the finals of the Greek A1 Championship.
PAOK Thessaloniki are also a well-known side in Greek basketball, as they finished fourth last season, and are two-time Greek Champions. They have also featured in the Euroleague several times.
Rythemno finished ninth in the domestic league last season.
It is no secret that Riyadi are attempting through a wild card to participate in the Adriatic league which is a professional league that originally featured clubs from the former Yugoslavia, though that could be a long process.
“We are still trying. But not for this year, maybe the next one,” Tabbara revealed.
Riyadi took a major twist by appointing former Olympiakos and Panathinaikos head coach Slobodan Subotic to their helm. Subotic led the Beirut side to regain the league title after beating arch-rivals Sagesse 4-2 last season.
The tournament will be the perfect preparation for Riyadi before the Arab clubs Championship which will tip off Oct. 22 in Morocco. They will be aiming to secure their sixth title.
“It’s a great opportunity for our club and the Lebanese basketball. We are working under the same strategy that moves Riyadi to another level. We are looking for new horizons in Europe, and two years ago we participated in Groningen tournament in Netherlands,” club manager Mazen Tabbara told The Daily Star.
Lebanese basketball has reached great heights in the past decade through the men’s national team, which took part in the World Championship three times and faced several top nations like Serbia, Spain, Lithuania, Turkey, Argentina, and France. But the local clubs have rarely played at this advanced level except for Sagesse’s memorable participation in the Mcdonalds Championship (the World club’s championship) in 2000.
Riyadi participated in the Groningen friendly tournament in the Netherlands two seasons ago, but the upcoming tournament in October will see the Lebanese champions face one of the best clubs in European and Greek history, Olympiakos.
“It’s very important to see our level in comparison to the European level. This is a great chance for our club and players to face such teams with great history,” Tabbara added.
“Lebanese basketball deserves to play at his level after all its improvement in the recent years. Our main aim is to raise the Lebanese flag once again in the biggest scenes.”
Olympiakos Piraeus have won the Euroleague three times, with the last coming in 2013, while they have won the Greek Championship 10 times.
Last year, they reached the quarterfinals of the Euroleague before falling at the hands of Real Madrid in the best-of-five-series 3-2, and they also lost to traditional rivals Panathinaikos in the finals of the Greek A1 Championship.
PAOK Thessaloniki are also a well-known side in Greek basketball, as they finished fourth last season, and are two-time Greek Champions. They have also featured in the Euroleague several times.
Rythemno finished ninth in the domestic league last season.
It is no secret that Riyadi are attempting through a wild card to participate in the Adriatic league which is a professional league that originally featured clubs from the former Yugoslavia, though that could be a long process.
“We are still trying. But not for this year, maybe the next one,” Tabbara revealed.
Riyadi took a major twist by appointing former Olympiakos and Panathinaikos head coach Slobodan Subotic to their helm. Subotic led the Beirut side to regain the league title after beating arch-rivals Sagesse 4-2 last season.
The tournament will be the perfect preparation for Riyadi before the Arab clubs Championship which will tip off Oct. 22 in Morocco. They will be aiming to secure their sixth title.
Comment