Elie Mechantaf Explained

Elie Mechantaf
Height Ft:6
Height In:5
Weight Lb:216
Nationality:Lebanese
Draft Year:1992
Birth Date:1970 10, df=yes
Birth Place:Beirut, Lebanon
Career Start:1987
Career End:2008
Career Position:Forward
Career Number:13
Years1:1987–1993
Team1:EPA Larnaca
Years2:1993–1994
Team2:Amal Bikfaya
Years3:1994–2007
Team3:Hekmeh BC
Years4:2007–2008
Team4:Champville SC
Years5:2008
Team5:Hekmeh BC
Highlights:

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  • Lebanon Cup MIP (most improved player)

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  • Best Arab Player
  • FIBA Asian Cup Championship MVP (most valuable player)
  • Asian MIP (most improved player)
  • Best Asian Player

(–)

Elie Mechantaf (Arabic: إيلي مشنتف; born in Beirut, Lebanon on October 5, 1970) is a retired Lebanese professional basketball player.

He started his basketball career in the Cypriot Basketball League, before becoming the captain of the Lebanese Hekmeh BC (Sagesse) basketball club, winning the Lebanese Championship for 6 consecutive seasons from 1998 to 2004. Mechantaf was also the team captain of the Lebanon National Basketball Team from 2000 to 2006, also taking part in the 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis. He retired in 2008.Now Mchantaf is encouraging basketball in Lebanon through founding his own official club M13 (Mchantaf #13).

Career

Mechantaf was born in Abra (East Saida), the son of Rafiq and Samia Mechantaf. He studied in the South in Saidoun High School, then moved to Beirut and later to Italy where he lived a whole year.

Back in Beirut, he studied at College CIT for two years. Then he joined Notre Dame University – Louaize (NDU) for one semester, after which he went to Cyprus playing basketball professionally, starting with EPA Larnaca, Cyprus, in second division, alongside another Lebanese player, Fouad Abou Chacra. He also studied Business Administration at Intercollege Cyprus.

After graduation, he returned to Lebanon and became a player in Amal Bikfaya in 1993. In 1994 he became the captain of Hekmeh BC (also known as Sagesse) dominating the Lebanese Basketball League winning FIBA Asia club championships.

The FLB (Federation Libanaise de Basketball) formed the Lebanese National Basketball Team, where Mechantaf started as the captain of the national side. Mechantaf took part in the 2002 Basketball World Cup in Indianapolis.

He was excluded from the national team in 2006 World Championship in Japan due to alleged doping.

He continued playing with Hekmeh until 2007, when he signed with Champville SC becoming the captain of the team. He returned to Hekmeh for a final season in 2008 before retiring.

Records and accolades

External links