Inter-Lebanon: Leading Lebanese Track and Field and Road Running Club

Seven years has gone by since Inter-Lebanon Road Running and Athletics Club was created. Despite its youth, the club has managed to gain 1st place in Lebanese athletics, way ahead of established clubs such as the Army Club, Jamhour, Maristes Champville, Ansar etc. Its combined ascendancy (men and women) over the rest of the clubs was comfortably established at the Lebanese Club Championships organized in August 2010 by the Lebanese Athletics Federation (LAF).

Initially Inter-Lebanon was founded as an organizer of road races to answer the passion and needs of road runners. Inter-Lebanon would happily have limited its scope to this activity and abstained from immersion in the closed and stagnant world of Lebanese athletics. However, it quickly became obvious that the founders could not remain indifferent to the neglect and absence of vision that Lebanese athletics has suffered from for so many years. It is because of a genuine passion for sports that the founders of Inter-Lebanon decided to confront the challenges presented by the alarming state of Lebanese athletics.

A new approach was initiated by Inter-Lebanon’s directorate, striving to create in Lebanon a new professional environment in the world of road running as well as track and field; thus awakening hope in athletes and offering them the opportunity to live their dreams.

Having realized the shortfalls of the LAF in planning, building and financing a national team of various age categories according to technical criteria; in supervising the ongoing preparation of this national team; in calling upon the expertise of much needed accomplished trainers; and last, but not least, in scouting and nurturing new young promising talent, Inter-Lebanon invested all its resources in creating an alternative to the inertia which has governed athletics in Lebanon for so long. This alternative integrates under Inter-Lebanon’s flag the great majority of elite Lebanese athletes, thus creating a de facto national team.

This strategy, implemented a couple of years ago, has already proven efficient. A large number of national record holders have enrolled with Inter-Lebanon in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Although there are still a few elite athletes evolving in 5 other clubs, the 12 remaining clubs are totally out of the game. It goes without saying that our doors will always be open to the LAF if they go ahead in implementing a vision and a strategy that all Lebanese athletes crave for. However, in case inertia is still the name of the game, Inter-Lebanon is determined to proceed with a working alternative far removed from political intrigue.

Enough with the preliminaries; here is a brief summary of Inter-Lebanon’s performance so far:

Road Racing:

Track and Field:

Inter-Lebanon has also succeeded in attracting and signing a large number of elite athletes, 4 of whom are national record holders:

About 40 elite athletes have joined Inter-Lebanon so far, including young and promising athletes with credible potential such as Mohamad Hannouf (17), Diala el Khazen (19), Ali Saleh (17), and Gabriel Salibi (13). These young athletes are benefiting, and will continue to benefit, from a high level of care and supervision.

2010 proved to be an exceptional year in terms of performance for Inter-Lebanon. Balance sheet:

The challenges lined-up for 2011can be summarized as follows: (a) to attract a larger number of elite athletes with the right stuff (passion, talent, discipline and fair play), (b) to scout and identify new young talents all over the country, (c) to break national records, and (d) to win medals at the Asian Championships and the Arab Games.

It goes without saying that the supremacy of Inter-Lebanon could not have been possible without medical follow-up (vitamins, physiotherapy), adequate training, state of the art equipment, training camps in the USA, Germany, Romania, Turkey, and incentive programs….all financed by Inter-Lebanon.

Obviously such an ambitious program over the past 7 years, and more specifically in 2010, has needed substantial financing. In 2010 Inter-Lebanon’s expenses budget exceeded USD 275,000, which is unheard of in Lebanese track and field so far. The 2011 budget will exceed USD540,000. The club has benefited during the past 7 years from the sporadic but generous support of business partners, namely: Medgulf, Bankers, Nasco Karaoglan, Libano-Française Bank, Fast Mondial, Casino du Liban, Central Bank of Lebanon, Cafe Najjar, Mitchell Group, Red Bull. In 2010 only 4 sponsors stepped in: Bejani & Bejani, Central Bank of Lebanon, Red Bull and Selim Mouzannar  Jeweler.

We should not forget or undermine the valuable financial contribution made twice in the past 7 years by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. We hope that in the future we will be able to formalize such contributions on a yearly basis.

However, the main financier of the club at this date remains the President and founder of Inter-Lebanon with a contribution in 2010 exceeding 80% of the expenses.

Inter-Lebanon is going through a phase of mutation and intends to shape itself into a credible, solid and above all long-lasting institution. This road map necessitates institutionalized financing and organization of the club. Long term sustainability cannot rely on the good will of one individual (Roger Bejjani). Ideas are being debated within the club such as: an art book of athletes’ photos to be sold in libraries, fashion shows, fund raising functions….and mainly creating 2 support groups: the first one formed by philanthropists (Inter-Lebanon friends) and the second one formed by corporations interested in building bridges between the business world and Lebanese sport in its most noble facet: athletics.

In line with the above, Inter-Lebanon has designed 3 financial support options: