Three university teams defy the odds and participate in the World Championship

Over the past few weeks, three university teams have defied the difficult circumstances Lebanon has faced, engaging in intensive daily preparations for their participation in the most anticipated international events: the World Championships in handball and futsal. Despite the forced suspension of the Lebanese University Sports Federation's championships, a significant glimmer of hope emerged with the selection of three Lebanese teams by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) to participate in these global tournaments. This has kept university sports alive through the technical preparations for these international competitions. Lebanon will therefore have a strong presence in two world championships, the first being the men's handball tournament, organized by FISU in Bordeaux, France, from June 20 to 27. The men's and women's futsal teams will also participate in the World Championships, which will be held in the Polish capital, Warsaw, from June 29 to July 7. While the launch of these teams' preparations under challenging security conditions is a remarkable achievement, their selection to compete at the highest level of university sports is an exceptional event. It reflects Lebanon's excellence in this field in recent years and the federation's ongoing efforts to place it on the international map. Notably, the International Federation's selection of representatives and the allocation of limited slots for participation in the World Championships were based on world rankings and the activity of national federations, given the absence of qualifying rounds. Lebanon obtained its participation slots through this mechanism, similar to previous participations in other team sports such as basketball, where the top countries are selected, unlike individual sports where participation is open to all interested countries. Coach Ziad Mansour will lead the handball team, while the men's futsal team will be supervised by the Lebanese national team's Spanish coach, Ricardo Iñiguez, and the women's team by coach Maroun. Al-Khoury. In this context, Al-Khoury, who also serves as head of the national teams committee, emphasized that since the beginning of the previous federation term and continuing into the current one, "the main objective has been to create a position befitting Lebanon in international forums, paving the way for the next phase in which we aspire to achieve results and win medals." He also noted that university teams have gained significant value, and students are now eager to join them, "despite the considerable financial challenges we face. Here, we call upon those interested in sponsoring these teams and the state to provide the necessary support, given the high costs of travel and participation." Al-Khoury pointed out that the federation's intention to achieve positive results is clear and goes beyond mere participation. "To this end, we were keen to attract the best coaches and technical staff to oversee the teams. Believing in the youth and the established strategic plan, they generously decided to work without compensation." He continued: "And here I would also like to thank the universities for providing training facilities and securing the necessary logistical support." He concluded: "We must consider the importance of what awaits us in the two World Championships, and recognize the extent of the responsibility placed upon us. In handball, Lebanon will be the sole representative of Asia and the Arab world, which is an achievement in itself, placing this sport on the world stage for the first time. As for futsal, our men's national team will also be present for the first time in the World Championship, which will feature established teams such as Brazil and Portugal. Competing against them will give us a great deal of experience and technical benefit."