Sagesse Sports Club (French: Club Sportif de la Sagesse), known as Hekmeh in Arabic, is a Lebanese sports club based in Beirut. The basketball team currently plays in the first division, the Lebanese Basketball League.
The basketball team was established in 1992, as part of the Club Sagesse which was known mainly for its football (soccer) team.
History
Al-Hikma in classical Arabic, El-Hekmeh in Lebanese dialect stands for "wisdom", thus also the French alternative name of the club, Sagesse (meaning wisdom in French).
The historical Hekmeh club was founded in Beirut in 1943 under the patronage of the late father Boulos Kik, supported by late Mgr. Jean Maroun, with affiliation to the Collège de la Sagesse of the Maronite Catholic Church, a leading educational institution in Lebanon and the East since 1875, but despite the affiliation with the Sagesse College, the club had its own independent administration. The basketball program was founded in 1992.
In 1992 the club was financed by media tycoon also dubbed as the Godfather of Lebanese basketball, president Antoine Choueiri, he was elected president following the passing of late president Henri El Asmar. Choueiri wanted a team that will achieve unprecedented success and popularity in a bid to change Lebanese sports history forever and unite all Lebanese behind a successful team that will represent Lebanon and Lebanese basketball in every possible competition on a national and international level.[1][2][3]
After the Choueiri takeover in 1992 Hekmeh/Sagesse included on its roster some of the most impactful player names including Lebanese national basketball team legends Elie Mechantaf and Fadi El Khatib, African stars Assane N'daye and Mohammad Acha, and other notable foreigners that at the time were among the elite of foreign basketball players in Asia being ex-NBA players and FIBA world cup participants, a high level of players that was never seen before in the Lebanese league and the neighbouring countries, and under the management of the most decorated national basketball coach Ghassan Sarkis, a dominant dream team was born taking Lebanese Basketball to new heights, achieving the goals that were set by Choueiri such as the ones mentioned in the previous passage.[4][3]
Also, Sagesse is the only Arab and only Asian club to ever participate in the basketball club world championship, the McDonald's Championship organized by FIBA and the NBA, it was at the 1999 edition when Sagesse went as the Asian champions. The 1999 McDonald's Championship was the first and only time FIBA Asia was represented in the tournament.[7][8]
This exceptional participation and the way Sagesse represented Asia at the Mcdonald's Championship in Milano was praised by then Commissioner of the NBA David Stern and by former Secretary General of the FIBA Borislav Stanković among other officials.[9]
In 2012 Sagesse B.C. won a friendly game against Turkish team Galatasaray S.K. during a training camp that the club was holding in Turkey, this was the most significant game and win for a Lebanese team or any team in the region against a European team in recent times.[10]
In the post Choueiri era, from 2004 onwards, which was the last year the team won the Lebanese Championship, the club struggled to find consistency at the administrative level despite the involvement of many businessmen and political figures, these involvements were seen as well as a possible reason for the club's struggles rather than being helpful gestures; and despite having the finances to build a good team the club was still struggling with debt; compared to the Choueiri era the club has achieved mediocre success with inconsistent overall form through the seasons in spite of reaching many finals in different competitions.[11]
In the 2019 election of the club's general assembly "Choueiry Group" top official Mr. Elie Yahchouchi was elected club president; he was Antoine Choueiri's vice president during the late tycoon's tenure at the club.
Also Deputy Prime Minister of Lebanon H.E. Ghassan Hasbani was elected head of the board of trustees.
Many reforms, overhauls and major investments have been made since
in addition to constructive future plans that were announced in the club's huge team presentation ceremony ahead of the 2019/20 season.[12][13]
Since October 2023, a new administration has been elected led by the club's honorary president M.P. Jihad Pakradouni with Lawyer and Beirut City council member Ragheb Haddad as club president and Mr. Samir Saleh, Sagesse fans association president during the Choueiri days, as vice-president and head of the club's basketball committee.
Rivalries
Beirut Derby
There is often a fierce rivalry between the two strongest teams in a national league, and this is particularly the case in the Lebanese basketball league, where the classical game between Club Sagesse and Riyadi is known as Beirut Derby.
From the start of the national league the clubs were seen as successful representatives of two different sides in Lebanon and the two most popular teams in the country.[14][15]
Awarded to the club for its unprecedented success in the Lebanese, Arab and Asian basketball championships that highly contributed into the development and rise of the Lebanese basketball and sports in Lebanon on many levels.
Roster
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.
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