‘Natural’ Khazzouh - the overdue answer to Lebanon’s ‘center’ of concerns?

KUALA LUMPUR (Mageshwaran’s AsiaScope) - This is the story of what initially looked like a club’s attempt to bolster their roster for domestic glory but then transformed into boosting the hopes of an entire nation that tides on the passionate support of its national team.

When former FIBA Asia Champions Cup winners Al Hikmeh Sagesse signed former Golden Stator Warriors draftee Julian Khazzouh, it merely looked like a part of the process to rejuvenate their roster for the 2012-13 with an eye on the Lebanese Division A League title. Multitudes of protests were raised by teams that felt more threatened by Khazzouh’s presence in the Sagesse line-up, which was now being coached by Al Riyadi Beirut’s multiple title-winning coach Foaud Abou Chakra.

But a little thought beyond the nitty-gritty nature of the fierce domestic rivalries brings to the fore Khazzouh’s possible influence and importance in the performance of Lebanon's national team.

Lebanon have always depended on a naturalised player – mostly Americans – in Position 5 in almost all of their international tournaments. A trend that began with the naturalisation of the genial Joe Vogel in the early 2000s continued with Jackson Vroman at the 25th FIBA Asia Championship in Tianjin, China in 2009, Sam Hoskin at the 26th FIBA Asia Championship in Wuhan, China last year and, most recently, Garnett Thompson at the 4th FIBA Asia Cup in Tokyo, Japan earlier this year.

Vogel’s presence took Lebanon to two FIBA World Championships – 2002 in Indianapolis, USA and 2006 in Japan – but each of the other players were found and naturalised only after much delay, deferrals and deliberations.

I won’t go into the merits or otherwise of that process especially in the post-Vogel period, but Khazzouh’s presence presents the Lebanese National Federation with an opportunity to, once and for all, forget this self-demeaning rat-race to find players fit for naturalisation and instead channel their energies towards giving the Lebanese team appropriate and adequate preparation.

After all, here’s a player who is Lebanese and answers to their concerns of finding a suitable and reliable center!

By winning the bid to host the 27th FIBA Asia Championship next year, Lebanon have automatically qualified for the event and won’t need to go through any qualification.

But in front of the home crowd, the Cedars will try to gain a medal and thus qualify to represent FIBA Asia at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.

It might sound like I am sticking my neck out already, but a Lebanese starting five comprising Rod Akl, Ahmad Ibrahim, Fadi El Khatib, Matt Freije and Julian Khazzouh – in the numerical order of playing position – all of them currently playing in the domestic league at that, is certainly a booster to the Cedars’ attempt to gain an automatic berth to the 2014 FIBA World Cup!

And when this line-up actually takes to court, it will also mark one of the very few occasions that Lebanon would have fielded a team in an international competition – a strong one at that – without a naturalised player. Anybody listening?

So long…

S Mageshwaran

FIBA Asia

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