Al Riyadi Club Beirut

Lebanese basketball team

Al Riyadi

Nickname| دولة الرياضي[1]
The Yellow Castle
Leagues| Lebanese Basketball League
Basketball Champions League Asia
Founded| 1934; 91 years ago (1934)
History| Al Riyadi Club Beirut
(1934–present)
Arena| Saeb Salam Arena
Capacity| 2,500
Location| Manara, Beirut, Lebanon
Team colours| Yellow, White and Blue

President| Mazen Tabbara
Head coach| Ahmad Farran
Team captain| Amir Saoud
Championships| 3 Champions League Asia
1 West Asia Super League
4 WABA Champions Cup
5 Arab Club Championship
31 Lebanese League
4 Lebanese Cup
2 Lebanese Supercup
Retired numbers| 3 (10, 6, 4)
Website| riyadi.com

Home

Away

Third

|
|

Al Riyadi's office in Beirut, 2022

Al Riyadi Club Beirut (Arabic: نادي الرياضي بيروت, lit. 'Sporting Club Beirut'), commonly known simply as Al Riyadi, is a multi-sports club team based in Manara, a district in Beirut, Lebanon. Founded in 1934,[2] the multi-sports club, which is mainly known for their basketball program, also plays ping-pong, martial arts, and other sports.

Al Riyadi is the most successful basketball team in Lebanese history, and one of the best in Asian basketball.[3][4] Competing in the Lebanese Basketball League, Al Riyadi is the most decorated Lebanese basketball club, with 31 league titles, a joint-record three Basketball Champions League Asia titles, and five Arab Club Championships. Nicknamed "the Yellow Castle", basketball team plays its home games at the Saeb Salam Arena.[4]

## History

[edit]

Al Riyadi Club was founded in 1934 by Hussein Sejaan, Hassan Ladki, Fouad Zantout, Youssef Shaker, Mustafa Shaker, Zouheir Yatim, Helmi Chehab, and Wafic Nsouli, who formed the first basketball team.[2]

The team played its first game against a foreign team in 1947, when Al Riyadi faced Turkish club Galatasaray, and lost the game 33–39. The game was attended by the first President of Lebanon Bechara El Khoury.[2]

Al Riyadi launched its first women's basketball team in 1965. The club built its own sports arena, the Saeb Salam Arena, in 1991, helped by former President Tammam Salam.[2]

In the 2023–24 season, Al Riyadi won its 31st league championship.[5] On 1 June 2024, they won their first FIBA West Asia Super League championship.[6] On June 15, Al Riyadi also won the 2024 Basketball Champions League Asia championship, their third Asian continental title.[7] As champions, they qualified directly for the 2024 FIBA Intercontinental Cup, as the first Lebanese team in history to do so.[8]

## Arenas and facilities

[edit]

The Saeb Salam Arena was finished in 1991 and holds a capacity for 2,500 people.[9]

Home arenas

Arena  | Tenure
Rawshe | 1934–1947
Sanayeh | 1947–1954
Rawshe  | 1954–1991
Saeb Salam Arena | 1991–present

## Achievements

[edit]

The following is a list of achievements the club has won.[10]

### Domestic

[edit]

* Lebanese Basketball League
* Winners (31): 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
* Lebanese Basketball Cup
* Winners (4): 2006, 2007, 2008, 2019
* Lebanese Basketball Supercup
* Winners (2): 2012, 2019

### International

[edit]

* Basketball Champions League Asia
* Winners (3): 2011,[11] 2017,[12] 2024[7]
* Arab Club Basketball Championship
* Winners (5): 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010
* FIBA West Asia Super League
* Winners (1): 2023–24[6]
* West Asia League winners (2): 2022–23,[13] 2023–24[14]
* WABA Champions Cup
* Winners (4): 1998, 2008, 2011, 2017

## Players

[edit]

### Retired numbers

[edit]

Al Riyadi retired numbers

N°  | Player  | Position  | Tenure  | Ceremony date
4 | Jean Abdelnour | SF | 2009–2023 | 13 December 2023[15]
6 | Ali Mahmoud | PG | 2004–2016, 2017–2019 |
10 | Ismail Ahmad | C | 2000–01, 2004–17, 2018–20, 2022–present  |

### Current roster

[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

Al Riyadi roster

Players | Coaches
{player3 | nat = LIB | num = 16 | first = Wael | last = Arakji | pos = PG/SG | m = 1.93 | year = 1994 | month = 9 | date = 7 }}  | Pos. | No. | Nat. | Name | Ht. |  | Age |

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

PF | 1 |  | Ahmad, Ismail | 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in)  |  |  48 – (1976-09-23)23 September 1976  |
SG | 22 |  | Ghanthous, Youssef | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)  |  |  28 – (1996-05-11)11 May 1996  |
SG | 5 |  | Saoud, Amir | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)  |  |  34 – (1991-01-18)18 January 1991  |
C | 20 |  | Abdallah, Habib | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)  |  |  31 – (1993-11-13)13 November 1993  |
SG | 7 |  | Zeinoun, Karim | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)  |  |  25 – (1999-06-16)16 June 1999  |
C | 21 |  | Diop, Ilimane | 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in)  |  |  29 – (1995-04-04)4 April 1995  |
PG | 10 |  | Mansour, Ali | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)  |  |  27 – (1998-01-01)1 January 1998  |
F | 14 |  | Tabbara, Bilal | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)  |  |  31 – (1993-05-25)25 May 1993  |
F | 24 |  | Gyokchyan, Hayk | 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)  |  |  35 – (1989-12-11)11 December 1989  |
PG | 12 |  | Sosa, Édgar | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)  |  |  37 – (1988-01-15)15 January 1988  |

Head coach

* Ahmad Farran

* * *

Legend

* (C) Team captain
* Injured

* * *

* Roster

Updated: 5 January 2024

### Depth chart

[edit]

Pos.  | Starting 5  | Bench 1  | Bench 2  |  |

|
|
|
|
|

C | Elmedin Kikanović | Marwan Ziadeh | Ismail Ahmad |  |
PF |  | Bilal Tabbara |  |  |
SF | Hayk Gyokchyan | Manny Harris |  |  |
SG | Karim Zeinoun | Amir Saoud | Mohamad Kraidly |  |
PG |  | Ali Mansour |  |  |

### Notable players

[edit]

See also: Category:Al Riyadi Club Beirut basketball players

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

* Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club
* Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time
* Played at least one official NBA match at any time.

* Jean Abdelnour
* Ismail Ahmad
* / Dalibor Bagarić
* Benoit Benjamin
* Rodney Buford
* Tony Dawson
* / Quincy Douby
* Fadi El Khatib
* Andre Emmett
* / Matt Freije
* Dion Glover
* Donté Greene
* Manny Harris
* Mike Harris
* Rick Hughes
* Orlando Johnson
* Ricky Ledo
* Zach Lofton
* / Ali Mahmoud
* / Thon Maker
* Randolph Morris
* Kevin Murphy
* Lee Nailon
* Julius Nwosu
* / Daniel Ochefu
* Aleksandar Radojević
* / Duop Reath
* Jamal Robinson
* Jonathon Simmons
* Willie Warren
* Loren Woods

## See also

[edit]

* Lebanon men's national basketball team

## References

[edit]

1. ^ ""دولة الرياضي" تواجه انتفاضة دينامو لبنان".
2. ^ a b c d "Our History - Al Riyadi Beirut Club". 12 May 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
3. ^ "Meet the BCL Asia 2024 Teams: Al Riyadi". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
4. ^ a b "كووورة: الموقع العربي الرياضي الأول". www.kooora.com. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
5. ^ "Riyadi champion du Liban pour la 31e fois, Sagesse s'incline « la tête haute »" (in French). L'Orient-Le Jour. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
6. ^ a b "Al Riyadi emerge as new FIBA WASL champions". FIBA.basketball. 1 June 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
7. ^ a b "Wael Arakji leads Al Riyadi to a dominating title in first-ever BCL Asia". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
8. ^ "Historic FIBA Intercontinental Cup, star-studded Hall of Fame ceremony will align in Singapore". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
9. ^ "Meet the FIBA WASL West Asia teams: Al Riyadi". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
10. ^ Eurobasket. "Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut". asia-basket. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
11. ^ "FIBA Asia - Thrilla in Manila Part II: Riyadi down Mahram again, this time in final". FIBA. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
12. ^ "Al Riyadi are the kings of FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2017". FIBA. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
13. ^ "Al Riyadi deliver masterclass at home, secure inaugural WASL-West Asia crown". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
14. ^ "Al Riyadi finish off Gorgan, secure back-to-back West Asia titles". FIBA.basketball. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
15. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 22 June 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Lebanese Basketball Federation Official website

* v
* t
* e

Lebanese Basketball League

Division A (Men) (2022–23)|

* Al Riyadi
* Antonine
* Antranik
* Beirut Club
* Champville
* Dynamo
* Homenetmen
* Hoops Club
* NSA
* Sagesse

Division A (Women) (2019–20)|

* Al Riyadi
* Antranik
* Chabibeh
* Energy Sports Club
* Homenetmen Antelias
* Hoops Club

Men's Seasons|

* 1992–93
* 1993–94
* 1994–95
* ~~1995–96~~
* 1996–97
* 1997–98
* 1998–99
* 1999–2000
* 2000–01
* 2001–02
* 2002–03
* 2003–04
* 2004–05
* 2005–06
* 2006–07
* 2007–2008
* 2008–2009
* 2009–2010
* 2010–11
* 2011–12
* ~~2012–13~~
* 2013–14
* 2014–15
* 2015–16
* 2016–17
* 2017–18
* 2018–19
* 2019–20
* 2020–21
* 2021–22
* 2022–23
* 2023–24

* v
* t
* e

Lebanese Football Association

Founding clubs|

* Nahda
* Union Sportif
* Jesuit Cercle
* Riyadi
* Salam
* DPHB
* Antranik
* Aras
* Hayat
* Homenmen
* International
* Ohaken
* Adana

Presidents|

* Hussein Sejaan
* Pierre Gemayel
* Farid Ammoun
* Jamil Sawaya
* Gabriel Jamil
* Bahij Salem
* Nassif Majdalani
* Fouad Chamoun
* Izzat Al Turk
* Pierre Edde
* George Dabbas
* Albert Kheir
* Hamid Khoury
* Nabil Al Raei
* Hachem Haidar

General secretaries|

* Elie Bakhaze
* Izzat Al Turk
* Joseph Nalbandian
* Raheef Alameh
* Bahij Bou Hamzah
* Raheef Alameh
* Jihad El Chohof

*[Pos.]: Position(s)
*[No.]: Jersey number
*[Nat.]: Nationality
*[Ht.]: Height
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