LAU men’s basketball team competes at ESSEC tournament in France
The LAU Captains, the Byblos-campus team, participated in the ESSEC Business School international tournament in France, from April 26–30.
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The LAU Byblos men's basketball team before the final game of its group against the Chinese University National Team, during the ESSEC Business School international tournament in France.
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Joe Moujaes (right), LAU Byblos basketball coach and director of Athletics, and the team's captain Amir Eid (center) were respectively selected coach and player of the all-star game at the tournament, where Dr. Mars Semaan (left), Dean of Students in Byblos, was also present.
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The men’s basketball team from LAU’s Byblos campus, the LAU Captains, participated in the ESSEC Business School international tournament in Cergy-Pontoise, France, from April 26–30.
The tournament gathered over 700 athletes from 20 different universities, from more than 15 countries around the world, including Spain, France, Poland, Algeria, Denmark, Holland, Germany, Bulgaria, Serbia, Russia, Slovenia and Lebanon, which was represented by two universities: LAU and the American University of Beirut.
“We chose to participate in this tournament, first to test our skills in a tough international tournament in order to benchmark ourselves relative to international level, and second to prove to the international community that Lebanon does exist on a competitive level,” says Joe Moujaes, LAU Byblos director of Athletics and basketball coach.
The achievement of the LAU team, which generated considerable excitement and interest at the tournament, was its 18-points victory over the Chinese University National Team, during the final game in the LAU Captains’ group. Although the LAU team did not qualify to the final round, this victory was a huge feat considering the fact that the Chinese team was the most difficult opponent in LAU’s group and that LAU was losing by a three-point difference at the end of the first half.
“The Chinese University National Team was labeled first-class in this tournament, and was the tournament-winner favorite, according to the organizers,” says Moujaes, adding: “A small team from Lebanon did what was impossible and sent the favorites out early from the competition.”
Moujaes controlled the game particularly by imposing a match-up press tactic that proved to be crucial.
Based on the success, both coach Moujaes and the team’s captain Amir Eid were respectively selected coach and player of the all-star game, which gathered the tournament’s finest players in a challenge against the local representative of the French Basketball League 1.
The players of LAU’s basketball team at the ESSEC tournament were Amir Eid, Samer Meshref, Richard Abi Fares, Milo Abou Jaoude, Rami Rizk, Ramzi Kamarddine, Tarek Bou Malham, and Samer Semaan.
Dr. Mars Semaan, Dean of Students at LAU Byblos, supported the team with his presence at the tournament.
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