Actually there is a lot of criticism about our present Lebanese
National Team for Men in Tehran (WABA) as read in the Lebanese
press, plus that our FBL Federation is nearly determined not to send
them to Algerian Pan-Arab Games.

But their harsh assessment of the Lebanese team and its "failures"
is misplaced. First the whole set-up of the team was that it had a
lot of younger players. They said this was in a bid to give them
better "exposure".

Fine, if it is giving them better international experience, then
this is what you get, win some, lose some. If you had sent the MAIN
team, this wouldn't have happened. But you suspended the "best of
the best" because of certain behaviors for a devastating 3 years and
you sent those "kids". Now who is to blame.

Me I love this new set-up, so much so I prefer it to the team of
veterans that we had, but I cannot be toooooo demanding on those
younger elements or worse punish them because they didn't "achieve".
On the contrary, considering the circumstaces, they achieved quite
well, witnessing their game against Iran.

Plus don't forget Fadi el Khatib or Joe Vogel, absolute "musts" for
our national team were not there at all. The experienced Paul Khoury
and also Brian Bshara who played so well had been struck by
legitimate family concerns and left in mid-tournament. Another bog
blow for the remaining 10 men.

So what you saw was a younger less-experienced team decimated of its
best players.

Me, I would have given my wholehearted support of THIS team instead
of publicly humiliating them in the papers because of their losses
to Jordan and Syria. As for game against Iran, they did really well
although they lost in overtime.

Don't lose hope guys. We only wish they send you all to Algeria
regardless of what you did in Tehran! You have done what you could
and with more and more play, you will improve even further.