BEIRUT (Lebanon) – The list of talented players to play for Lebanon in the national team setting is long and lengthy. Whether it’s Fadi El Khatib, who announced his international play retirement in 2017, or Rony Fahed (who was covered not long ago) the list of Lebanese legends go on and on. Another name you can’t forget is star guard of the 90s, Elie Mchantaf.

Mchantaf got an early start playing with the national team and it turned out to be an experience that was imprinted in his memories.

"When you are a 17-year old and start playing with players you watched on TV and dreamt to play or compete with, having hopes to be the best among them, that’s what stuck with [me]!" says Mchantaf of his national team memories.

"It was for sure an indescribable feeling. When you represent your country you’ll be proud with what you are doing. We were the only ones who put the flag of Lebanon high during Lebanon’s troubled days," Mchantaf says. "We climbed the stairs 2 steps at a time, until we arrived at the top and we knew how to maintain our position at the top."

Over the years in which Mchantaf showcased his talents, he had encountered many worthy opponents. Among those, the two tall towers of China stood out as fierce competitors.

"Wang Zhizhi and Yao Ming before they went to the NBA are some of the players who I enjoyed playing against," shares the 1.95M (6’5”) guard. "[The teams I enjoyed playing against] was for sure Korea and China. The Philippines back then were not participating. I played in the Asia All Star games more than 5 times and a lot of times I was the MVP. They used to choose the best 12 players from East and West Asia."

Though he was among the best of the best, it was more than just a one-man effort with the national team. Mchantaf recalls his moments back in the day and how things were within the national team, factors of which resulted in the strength of their squad.

"Our generation was very talented, we had a lot of skilled players and we trained a lot. All national team players were summoned during the off-season and we played together in official and unofficial championships.

Basketball has improved all over the Asian region since Mchantaf’s playing days. There are plenty of exciting teams and players for fans to follow. Now 48 years old, Mchantaf also has a few teams on his radar that he wants to see in FIBA Asia Cup competition.

"In my days, Saudi Arabia and Qatar had strong teams and I wish to see them compete.  Korea, Philippines, China and Lebanon are the countries who engraved their names in the big continent," he says. "Nowadays, with Australia and New Zealand joining the Asia Region, they will alongside China dominate the FIBA Asia Cup."

With so many strong teams and contenders in the region, it is as important as ever for Lebanon to stay focused to remain at the cream of the crop in Asia. As a member of the teams that kept Lebanon afloat at the top, Mchantaf has some advice for this generation of players to maintain their standard of success.

"Keep the ego away, stay down to earth, and keep training. Always have the mindset that you have a lot more to achieve. Even if you are named Asia’s MVP ten times, you still have a lot to be a perfect player," advises the veteran.

Nonetheless, Mchantaf is confident that Lebanon will continue making noises in the continent.

"With this group of players, we will for sure. We have some very good players such as Ahmad Ibrahim, Wael Arakji, Amir Saoud and Ali Haidar."

FIBA