Sagesse SC (basketball) explained

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Sagesse Club - Basketball team
نادي الحكمة - فريق كرة السلة
Nickname:The Green Castle
(Arabic: القلعة الخضراء)
Leagues:Lebanese Basketball League (FLB League): Div.1 ;West Asia Super League (WASL)
Founded:1943
History:Sagesse SC
(1943–present)Sagesse BC
(1992–present)
Arena:Antoine Choueiri Stadium, Ghazir
Capacity:5,000
Location:Achrafieh, Beirut
Colors:Dark Green, White
President:Maître Ragheb Haddad
Coach:Ilias Zouros
Affiliation:Collège de la Sagesse of the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Beirut
Championships:8 Lebanese Basketball League
3 WABA Champions Cup
3 Asia Champions Cup
2 Arab Club Championship
7 Lebanese Cup Championship
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Sagesse Sports Club (French: Club Sportif de la Sagesse), known as Hekmeh in Arabic, is a Lebanese sports club based in Beirut. The basketball team currently plays in the first division, the Lebanese Basketball League.

The basketball team was established in 1992, as part of the Club Sagesse which was known mainly for its football (soccer) team. Sagesse has won eight Lebanese League titles, seven Lebanese Cups. In international competitions Sagesse has won three continental Basketball Champions League Asia championships, a shared record, as well as three WABA Champions Cup and two Arab Championships.

History

Al-Hikma in classical Arabic, El-Hekmeh in Lebanese dialect stands for "wisdom", thus also the French alternative name of the club, Sagesse (meaning wisdom in French).

The historical Hekmeh club was founded in Beirut in 1943 under the patronage of the late father Boulos Kik, supported by late Mgr. Jean Maroun, with affiliation to the Collège de la Sagesse of the Maronite Catholic Church, a leading educational institution in Lebanon and the East since 1875, despite the affiliation with the Sagesse College, the club has its own independent administration.

The basketball program was founded in 1992, when the club was headed and financed by media tycoon also widely dubbed as the Godfather of Lebanese basketball,[1] president Antoine Choueiri, he was elected president following the passing of late president Henri El Asmar.

Choueiri wanted a team that will achieve unprecedented success and popularity in a bid to change Lebanese sports history forever and unite all Lebanese behind a successful team that will represent Lebanon and Lebanese basketball in every possible competition on a national and international level.[2] [3] [4]

After the Choueiri takeover in 1992 Hekmeh/Sagesse included on its roster some of the most impactful players including Lebanese national basketball team legends who formed one of the most successful and historic partnerships in Asia at the time,[5] [6] Elie Mechantaf and Fadi El Khatib, African stars[7] [8] Assane N'diaye and Mohammed Acha, and other notable foreigners that at the time were among the elite of foreign basketball players in the East, being top ex-NBA players, FIBA Continental and World Cup participants, a high level of players that was never seen before in the Lebanese league and the neighbouring countries, and under the management of the most decorated national basketball coach Ghassan Sarkis, a dominant dream team was born taking Lebanese basketball, sports in Lebanon and the region, and Lebanon to new heights, achieving the goals that were set by Choueiri, such as the ones mentioned in the previous passage.[9] [4]

Sagesse became one of the most successful basketball clubs in Lebanon, the MENA region and Asia with 8 Lebanese Basketball League Championships, 7 Lebanese Basketball Cups, 2 Arab Club Basketball Championships, and 3 FIBA Asia Champions Cup titles.

Hekmeh made history by being the first Lebanese club to win the Arab Club Basketball Championship[10] [11] and the first Lebanese and first Arab club to win the FIBA Asia Champions Cup.[12] [13]

Sagesse are the only Arab and only Asian club to ever participate in the basketball club world championship, the McDonald's Championship organized by FIBA and the NBA, it was at the 1999 edition when Sagesse went as the Asian champions. The 1999 McDonald's Championship was the first and only time FIBA Asia was represented in the tournament.[14] [15] [16]

This exceptional participation and the way Sagesse represented Asia at the Mcdonald's Championship in Milano was praised by then Commissioner of the NBA David Stern and by former Secretary General of the FIBA Borislav Stanković among other officials.[17]

In 2012, Sagesse won a friendly game against Turkish & EuroCup winners Galatasaray S.K. during a training camp that the club was holding in Turkey, where Sagesse played a series of games against Turkish first division teams, this was the most significant game and win for a Lebanese team or any team in the region against a European team in recent times.[18]

Hekmeh are often present in international tournaments and camps, playing against a selection of the best clubs and national teams from different countries.[19] [20] [21]

In the post Choueiri era, from 2004 onwards, which was the last year the team won the Lebanese Championship, the club struggled to find consistency at the administrative level despite the involvement of many businessmen and political figures, these involvements were seen as well as a possible reason for the club's struggles rather than being helpful gestures; and despite having the finances to build a good team the club was still struggling with debt; compared to the Choueiri era the club has achieved mediocre success with inconsistent overall form through the seasons in spite of reaching many finals in different competitions.[22]

In the 2019 election of the club's general assembly "Choueiry Group" top official Mr. Elie Yahchouchi was elected club president; he was Antoine Choueiri's vice president during the late tycoon's tenure at the club.Also Deputy Prime Minister of Lebanon H.E. Ghassan Hasbani was elected head of the board of trustees.Many reforms, overhauls and major investments have been made sincein addition to constructive future plans that were announced in the club's huge team presentation ceremony ahead of the 2019/20 season.[23] [24]

Since October 2023, a new administration has been elected led by the club's honorary president M.P. Jihad Pakradouni with Lawyer and Beirut City council member Ragheb Haddad as club president.[25]

Rivalries

Beirut Derby

There is often a fierce rivalry between the two strongest teams in a national league, and this is particularly the case in the Lebanese basketball league, where the classical game between Club Sagesse and Riyadi is known as Beirut Derby.From the start of the national league the clubs were seen as successful representatives of two different sides in Lebanon and the two most popular teams in the country.[26] [27]

Honours

Source:[28] [29] [30] [31]

Lebanese Basketball league
Lebanese Basketball Cup
FIBA Asia Champions Cup
WABA Champions Cup
Arab Club Basketball Championship
International tournaments
Special Awards

(Specially awarded by FIBA Asia known as the Asian Basketball Confederation back then for the first time in 1999 with Sagesse Club as the inaugural winner.)[36]

Medals and decorations

National Order of the Cedar

Knight in 1999 [37]

Officer in 2000 [38]

Awarded to the club for its unprecedented success in the Lebanese, Arab and Asian basketball championships that highly contributed into the development and rise of the Lebanese basketball and sports in Lebanon on many levels.

Notable players

A sample list of notable foreign players.

Notable coaches

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: A VERY SAD DAY FOR LEBANESE BASKETBALL - Federation Libanaise de Basketball . 2024-05-06 . GameDay . en.
  2. Web site: A VERY SAD DAY FOR LEBANESE BASKETBALL - Federation Libanaise de Basketball. SportsTG. Nov 18, 2020.
  3. Web site: الـ"بريزيدان" أنطوان شويري باني نهضة كرة السلة الحديثة. Mar 10, 2010. Lebanese Forces Official Website. Nov 18, 2020.
  4. Web site: حلم كرة السلة… حقيقة. Mar 10, 2010. Lebanese Forces Official Website. Nov 18, 2020.
  5. Web site: الثنائي الذهبي.. مشنتف والخطيب . 2024-05-06 . alminbaronline.com.
  6. Web site: الخطيب و مشنتف ثنائي للتاريخ . 2024-05-06 . alminbaronline.com.
  7. Web site: 2014-10-10 . FIBA . 2024-05-06 . Rambeeni Basketball . en.
  8. Web site: 2020-07-13 . Afrobasket Dream Teams Africans In Sports Your Home To All Things African Sports . 2024-05-06 . Africans In Sports . en.
  9. Web site: How Much Did Antoine Choueiry Invest in Building Sagesse and Lebanese Basketball Glory? - Sports 961 Sports 961 . 2016-03-26 . 2016-03-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160318175630/http://sports-961.com/lebanese-basketball-much-antoine-chouairy-invested-building-sagesse-glory/ . dead .
  10. http://daharchives.alhayat.com/issue_archive/Wasat%20magazine/1998/4/13/الحكمة-بطل-الأندية-العربية-لكرة-السلة-لبنان-يرتدي-اللون-الأخضر.html
  11. Web site: حرب: نادي الحكمة كان في الماضي النادي اللبناني الأول الذي حقق البطولات . 2024-05-06 . Elnashra News . ar.
  12. News: صفحة 16 (30-5-1999). Apr 11, 2014. Addiyar. Nov 18, 2020.
  13. Web site: حرب: نادي الحكمة كان في الماضي النادي اللبناني الأول الذي حقق البطولات . 2024-05-06 . Elnashra News . ar.
  14. Web site: FIBA.com Coaching Library - Training - Article. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150211005221/http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/cl/training/p/nid/41162/article.html. 2015-02-11.
  15. Web site: الصفحة غير موجودة. www.annahar.com. Nov 18, 2020.
  16. Web site: 2014-04-19 . الصّفحة 16 (12-10-1999) . 2024-05-06 . Addiyar.
  17. Web site: TALKING ABOUT DAVID STERN. 29 March 2023. www.youtube.com.
  18. Web site: Sports News Lebanon - Malaeeb Mobile. www.malaeeb.com. Nov 18, 2020.
  19. Web site: 2015-01-14 . 26th Dubai International Basketball tournament starts off at Al Ahli Club . 2024-05-06 . Yahoo News . en-US.
  20. Web site: Desk . Deal . 2024-01-23 . Dubai International Basketball Championship . 2024-05-06 . dubaisavers . en-US.
  21. Web site: الحكمة بيروت بطلاً لسلة أبو ظبي بعد إحرازه لقب دورة القادسية . 2024-05-06 . annahar.com . en.
  22. Web site: SportKello - 8 استقالات رئاسية في الحكمة خلال 11 سنة: شويري ،فريحة ،شلهوب ،شهوان، خوري،المقدسي،مشنتف وحكيم و.....!!!!. www.sportkello.com. Nov 18, 2020.
  23. https://m.arabia.eurosport.com/article/كرة-السلة/الدوري-اللبناني/نادي-الحكمة-يقدم-فريقي-كرة-السلة-وكرة-السلة-في-حفل-تاريخي /نادي-الحكمة-يقدم-فريقي-كرة-السلة-وكرة-السلة-في-حفل-تاريخي
  24. Web site: الحكمة بيروت قدم فريقيه لكرتي القدم والسلة.. ورسالة من رئيس الجمهورية. Lebanon24. Nov 18, 2020.
  25. Web site: الوكالة الوطنية للإعلام - توزيع مناصب في ادارية نادي الحكمة: راغب حداد رئيسا . 2024-05-06 . الوكالة الوطنية للإعلام . ar.
  26. Web site: For drama, NBA Finals aren't in Lebanon's league. Charles Storch, Tribune staff. reporter. chicagotribune.com. 17 June 2003 . Nov 18, 2020.
  27. http://vidzi.tv/y5n6zuzid7e9#.WOizsZ-EbqA a New Zealand documentary about the Beirut Derby the Classical game of the Lebanese basketball league.
  28. https://web.archive.org/web/20160629105106/http://www.sports-leb.com/2011/02/04/125065/ Lebanon sports 2011
  29. Web site: نادي الحكمة: تاريخ مرصّع بالذهب . 2011-11-09 . https://archive.today/20120713214130/http://sports.lebanese-forces.com/sports/MoreNews.aspx?newsid=125065 . 2012-07-13 . dead .
  30. Web site: منتديات كووورة. forum.kooora.com. Nov 18, 2020.
  31. Web site: الصفحة غير موجودة. 2016-05-27. 2016-08-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20160806183230/http://jamahir.alwehda.gov.sy/node/303104. dead.
  32. https://www.fiba.basketball/news/petrochimi-al-riyadi-advance-to-fiba-asia-champions-cup
  33. Web site: All Time Medalists. FIBA.basketball. Nov 18, 2020.
  34. Web site: NBA.com: Global Games 13: Printable All-Time Games . . 2015-02-18 . 2014-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141219225350/http://www.nba.com/global/games2013/all-time-international-game-list-printable.html . dead .
  35. Web site: Archived copy . . 2015-02-18 . 2015-09-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150926163050/http://www.nba.com/events/mcdonalds_championship.html . dead .
  36. Web site: BEST PROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ASIA AWARD. 29 March 2023. www.youtube.com.
  37. Web site: الصفحة 16 (3-6-1999). Apr 11, 2014. Addiyar. Nov 18, 2020.
  38. Web site: "LA SAGESSE" ADULÉE PAR UN PEUPLE EN DÉLIRE. www.rdl.com.lb. Nov 18, 2020.