FIBA Basketball
LIB - Lebanon squad affected by attacks
BEIRUT (FIBA World Championship) - Lebanon basketball coach Paul Coughter admits his stranded squad is in "the worst-case scenario" after Israeli military attacks left preparations for next month's FIBA world championships in disarray
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BEIRUT (FIBA World Championship) - Lebanon basketball coach Paul Coughter admits his stranded squad is in "the worst-case scenario" after Israeli military attacks left preparations for next month's FIBA World Championship in disarray.
Lebanese basketball officials have been left stranded in the aftermath of Israeli attacks as they seek to leave the country, and Coughter is hoping for a quick resolution.
"Our intentions are to leave on Sunday. Clearly the events will dictate our actions, so it's anybody's guess," Coughter told PA Sport. "After the initial (Israeli) actions we attempted to continue our training. But the players were obviously distracted. So we did the only human thing there was to do and released them to their families."
That was on Friday - after just one week of preparations consisting of strength training, conditioning and practice sessions.
"Clearly this is a major interruption," the coach said. "We've had four days of practice. How do you think we'll do?"
Coughter refused to speculate on how the events could impact his team in Japan, saying only: "I can't imagine what it will be like if things worsen inside the country while we're not there."
Coughter is one of the most travelled and experienced coaches in the world, playing, coaching or working at coaching clinics in 132 countries on six continents. But even he has been shook by the current events in Lebanon.
"In 37 years overseas, this is obviously the scariest time," he said. "I hear F-16s flying over, and that's not the Lebanese Air Force.
"Nobody knows what will happen. There's the worst case scenario, and you back track from there. This is definitely unprecedented for me."
Coughter said dealing with the uncertainty is the most difficult part of all this.
"The sense of powerlessness is the worst thing, especially if you're a control freak like me."
The Lebanese national team hoped to leave the troubled country this weekend by bus and travel to Syria for the Borislav Stankovic Cup as they prepare for next month`s FIBA World Championship in Japan. But with Israeli war jets continuing bombing attacks, including hitting important roadways surrounding the northern city of Tripoli, any moves to leave Lebanon look futile.
Besides the Beirut Airport being all but useless after a series of bombings, the main road from the Lebanese capital Beirut to the Syrian capital Damascus has already been bombed and is too dangerous to pass.
"The worst part is that the airport has been bombed. And now the roads and bridges are being hit. They're trying to make the cities into islands," Raffy Kadiam of the Federation of Lebanese Basketball told PA Sport.
"The trip through Tripoli would mean two additional hours. That was a safer way, but they hit that area today [Saturday]. They're trying to isolate us."
Should the Lebanese team and officials get from Beirut to Syria, they would then take a bus or train onto Turkey. Kadiam said the FLB president and secretary general were meeting to discuss the situation and how to best deal with it.
"We are lost frankly. If there is a way out we are okay. But they are bombing everywhere. Maybe tomorrow it will be the phones and cellular relays. We're ready for anything," Kadiam added.
Coughter's team, who are drawn in Group A with Serbia & Montenegro, Argentina, France, Nigeria and Venezuela, do not know if they can participate in a series of warm-up tournaments for Japan.
After the Borislav Stankovic Cup in Syria from July 20-27, they are then scheduled to train in Turkey for a week before playing in the Alpos Cup in Slovenia from August 3-8. After three or four days back in Beirut, the team planned on going to the Philippines for another training camp before heading directly to Japan for the World Championship.
For one of Cougher's star, Fadi El Khatib, the events are difficult to deal with.
"It's really hard on us. It's the worst thing that could have happened. My house is only one kilometre from the bombings yesterday (Friday)," he told PA Sport.
"I would like to try to drive to Dubai with my family, wife and son and put them in safety and then meet the team in Turkey. I can drive there (2,100 kilometres) in two days."
Kadiam said the FLB is aware that Khatib wants to leave town by car, but insists that the star guard must be in Beirut when the team leaves. Khatib would also face difficulties since the federation has his passport.
"He told us he was thinking of going but he was told he had to wait. He doesn't have a passport. We have them since we're getting the visas," Kadiam said.
As if to add insult to injury, the Lebanese could end of missing the Alpos Cup in Slovenia as the team's visas for Slovenia are in Cairo, Egypt.
"We need somebody to fly to Cairo. But that's a problem too because everyone in the area wants to escape," Kadiam said. "We were expecting a million tourists in Lebanon this summer, and half of them were already here and now they're escaping."
David Hein
PA Sport Exclusively for FIBA
BEIRUT (FIBA World Championship) - Lebanon basketball coach Paul Coughter admits his stranded squad is in "the worst-case scenario" after Israeli military attacks left preparations for next month's FIBA World Championship in disarray.
Lebanese basketball officials have been left stranded in the aftermath of Israeli attacks as they seek to leave the country, and Coughter is hoping for a quick resolution.
"Our intentions are to leave on Sunday. Clearly the events will dictate our actions, so it's anybody's guess," Coughter told PA Sport. "After the initial (Israeli) actions we attempted to continue our training. But the players were obviously distracted. So we did the only human thing there was to do and released them to their families."
That was on Friday - after just one week of preparations consisting of strength training, conditioning and practice sessions.
"Clearly this is a major interruption," the coach said. "We've had four days of practice. How do you think we'll do?"
Coughter refused to speculate on how the events could impact his team in Japan, saying only: "I can't imagine what it will be like if things worsen inside the country while we're not there."
Coughter is one of the most travelled and experienced coaches in the world, playing, coaching or working at coaching clinics in 132 countries on six continents. But even he has been shook by the current events in Lebanon.
"In 37 years overseas, this is obviously the scariest time," he said. "I hear F-16s flying over, and that's not the Lebanese Air Force.
"Nobody knows what will happen. There's the worst case scenario, and you back track from there. This is definitely unprecedented for me."
Coughter said dealing with the uncertainty is the most difficult part of all this.
"The sense of powerlessness is the worst thing, especially if you're a control freak like me."
The Lebanese national team hoped to leave the troubled country this weekend by bus and travel to Syria for the Borislav Stankovic Cup as they prepare for next month`s FIBA World Championship in Japan. But with Israeli war jets continuing bombing attacks, including hitting important roadways surrounding the northern city of Tripoli, any moves to leave Lebanon look futile.
Besides the Beirut Airport being all but useless after a series of bombings, the main road from the Lebanese capital Beirut to the Syrian capital Damascus has already been bombed and is too dangerous to pass.
"The worst part is that the airport has been bombed. And now the roads and bridges are being hit. They're trying to make the cities into islands," Raffy Kadiam of the Federation of Lebanese Basketball told PA Sport.
"The trip through Tripoli would mean two additional hours. That was a safer way, but they hit that area today [Saturday]. They're trying to isolate us."
Should the Lebanese team and officials get from Beirut to Syria, they would then take a bus or train onto Turkey. Kadiam said the FLB president and secretary general were meeting to discuss the situation and how to best deal with it.
"We are lost frankly. If there is a way out we are okay. But they are bombing everywhere. Maybe tomorrow it will be the phones and cellular relays. We're ready for anything," Kadiam added.
Coughter's team, who are drawn in Group A with Serbia & Montenegro, Argentina, France, Nigeria and Venezuela, do not know if they can participate in a series of warm-up tournaments for Japan.
After the Borislav Stankovic Cup in Syria from July 20-27, they are then scheduled to train in Turkey for a week before playing in the Alpos Cup in Slovenia from August 3-8. After three or four days back in Beirut, the team planned on going to the Philippines for another training camp before heading directly to Japan for the World Championship.
For one of Cougher's star, Fadi El Khatib, the events are difficult to deal with.
"It's really hard on us. It's the worst thing that could have happened. My house is only one kilometre from the bombings yesterday (Friday)," he told PA Sport.
"I would like to try to drive to Dubai with my family, wife and son and put them in safety and then meet the team in Turkey. I can drive there (2,100 kilometres) in two days."
Kadiam said the FLB is aware that Khatib wants to leave town by car, but insists that the star guard must be in Beirut when the team leaves. Khatib would also face difficulties since the federation has his passport.
"He told us he was thinking of going but he was told he had to wait. He doesn't have a passport. We have them since we're getting the visas," Kadiam said.
As if to add insult to injury, the Lebanese could end of missing the Alpos Cup in Slovenia as the team's visas for Slovenia are in Cairo, Egypt.
"We need somebody to fly to Cairo. But that's a problem too because everyone in the area wants to escape," Kadiam said. "We were expecting a million tourists in Lebanon this summer, and half of them were already here and now they're escaping."
David Hein
PA Sport Exclusively for FIBA