Basketball: Lebanon awarded wild cards for 2010 FIBA World Championship

During today's meeting of the FIBA Central Board - the highest executive body of the International Basketball Federation - the following teams were awarded wild card entries to next year's FIBA World Championship in Turkey: Germany , Lebanon , Lithuania and Russia.

The decisions were made in accordance with the criteria outlined by the FIBA Central Board. The wild card system was first introduced for the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, following the decision to increase the number of teams from 16 to 24.

With the four wild cards joining the 20 qualified teams, the following teams go into the hat for the draw that will take place on Tuesday 15th December (11:30AM local time / 10:30AM CET) in Istanbul:

• Angola


• Argentina


• Australia


• Brazil


• Canada


• China


• Croatia


• France


• Germany


• Greece


• Iran


• Ivory Coast


• Jordan


• Lebanon


• Lithuania


• New Zealand


• Puerto Rico


• Russia


• Serbia


• Slovenia


• Spain


• Tunisia


• Turkey


• USA

source: www.fiba.com

Lebanon is ready for Francophone games

With three weeks left for the opening of 6th annual Francophone games, 27 September
and 6th October 2009, Beirut in now ready to host more then 3000 participants from 50 French-speaking countries, declaring the organizers of the games.

The participants will compete in various activities, whether in sporting (athletics, women basketball, boxing, football, Judo, ping pong) or culturing disciplines.

The games opening ceremony to be held on September 27 at the Camille Chamoun sports city, will see 200 performers and thousands more students in an occasion that will feel like a 42-minute dream, as the organizers said.

Many venues across the capital will host the events. The preliminary round of football matches are scheduled to take place at Rafik Hariri Stadium in Sidon.

The organizers are hoping that the games will be successful with the help of national sports unions and under the supervision of international sports union.

The francophone village will be organized in the Lebanese University in Hadath, in order to accommodate and feed participants.

The game showcase will see Lebanon take on former European champions, French team Marseille, who will face Lebanese football league stars, in an exhibition match on September 29.