Lebanese hockey's death.

[Steigs]

News from Lebanon:
Apparently the only ice rink in Lebanon has been shut down for economical reasons and due in part to lack of sponsorship.
There was a small ice hockey community in that country that had enjoyed the use of the ice surface in the hopes of one day being recognized by the IIHF and participating in the IIHF World Championships, but that dream seems all but dead now.
First Greece, now Lebanon... there are potential hockey markets here, but lack of support is seeing them fail. Hopefully we'll see these get back on their feet.

[Davide]

Sad news....
But we can be optimistic with new opened rinks in Morocco and Kenya...who knows.....

[Hockey_Algeria]

sad.

theres quite alot of lebanese in canada would of thought they would be keen to help, the Nasreddine brothers who played in the NHL are Lebanese canadians.

[Marc]

Here is a link about Canadians who started a youth hockey league in Lebanon.

[Jimmy]

I am a Lebanese hockey player in Toronto, it actually is really upsetting to hear that my favourite sport is dying. Hockey does have potential in Lebanon, because all my male cousins play hockey, most of my Lebanese friends play hockey. It has a huge following in Toronto, and i'm sure it has a following in other hockey nations and cities. I am optimistic that hockey will come back to Lebanon, especially once the Lebanese government is actually representative of the people.

[Hockey_Algeria]

you lot should all start some sort of campaign, its the lebenese canadians who can bring it back from the dead.

[Christo]

I have some Lebanese in me, and I have also heard of them shutting down the only rink during the war because of no funds, I am terribly shocked to have heard this, I see many Lebanese kids with potential as hockey players, only to be shunned down by their mentality; "Christo, have you ever seen a lebanese man play hockey" I always reply yes, it seems, they find the sport of basketball more adequate, if that were not enough, they can't let go of this stereotype. Being brought up in a family that adored the Montreal Canadiens, I was able to attach myself to the sport, though, Lebanon was mandated by the French, it seems some Lebanese consider themselves not worthy... I hope one day I can prove myself wrong. One day, the Lebs might just have a hockey team.

It's not dead yet, but us Canadians can only teach the Lebanese, so I hope they project it into a rink, it is unfair to say to Canadians to help the Hockey situation, because Lebanon is in strife.

[Hockey_Algeria]

well algerian hockey was made by algerians living abroad, and now we have got attention from algerian government and business there is talk of ice rinks and leagues in algeria.

I know there is enough lebanese canadian players to do this.

Takes 1 guy to get off his ass and start it off, contact sami and alain nasreddine for starters, bam u have couple big names in there then all the minor league players will jump in.

17 players and ur in an arab cup getting broadcasted live across the arab world.

[Christo]

Originally Posted by Algerian_hockey_playa

well algerian hockey was made by algerians living abroad, and now we have got attention from algerian government and business there is talk of ice rinks and leagues in algeria.

I know there is enough lebanese canadian players to do this.

Takes 1 guy to get off his ass and start it off, contact sami and alain nasreddine for starters, bam u have couple big names in there then all the minor league players will jump in.

17 players and ur in an arab cup getting broadcasted live across the arab world.

This guy is Lebanese, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Hatoum, he can do something, although he hasn't. It's the situation of strife in Lebanon, I'm sure he would have though, Algeria is a different story, it doesn't have a political situaton...

[Hockey_Algeria]

Originally Posted by Christo

This guy is Lebanese, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Hatoum, he can do something, although he hasn't. It's the situation of strife in Lebanon, I'm sure he would have though, Algeria is a different story, it doesn't have a political situaton...

well algeria had 10 years of civil war only ending in early 00's with upto 250,000 people dying, and the islamic militants still hide in some rural and mountain areas.

The only reason algerias economy turned around is due to the high petrol prices, and there is alot of petrol in the algerian sahara.

But lebanon is a wealthy country, and a very modern country. Lebanon has some big international businessmen and a large lebenese canadian population. In theory lebanon should have an easier job starting a hockey programe than algeria.

[Christo]

Originally Posted by Algerian_hockey_playa

well algeria had 10 years of civil war only ending in early 00's with upto 250,000 people dying, and the islamic militants still hide in some rural and mountain areas.

The only reason algerias economy turned around is due to the high petrol prices, and there is alot of petrol in the algerian sahara.

But lebanon is a wealthy country, and a very modern country. Lebanon has some big international businessmen and a large lebenese canadian population. In theory lebanon should have an easier job starting a hockey programe than algeria.

Lebanon doesn't have any natural ressources to jumpstart the economy, the only thing the economic scenario depends on in Lebanon are it's banks, it has plenty of Banks, money, yes, they spent some money on a professional Rugby league, and building this massive stadium for the jeux de la francophonie, but they can't even open a rink?

[Hockey_Algeria]

well if anyone would like to stand up and make the push for lebanese hockey id be happy to give assistance.

[Hockey_Algeria]

oh yea, also future NHL player Nazem Khadri is lebanese origin, he'll be a 1st round pick next year.

[Christo]

Originally Posted by Hockey_Algeria

oh yea, also future NHL player Nazem Khadri is lebanese origin, he'll be a 1st round pick next year.

Yeah man, I saw the guy playing at Ottawa University's Rink for the world juniors practice, he's got some skills, definitely a first round draft IMO, one of these days he might propagate teh fact that Lebanese people do play hockey, but until the streets of Lebanon are safe to walk on, without someon famous being assasinated, we must wait...