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Ghassan Sarkiss is a Lebanese basketball coach who was known for building a very strong green castle that won the Lebanese basketball league and cup for years. In addition to that, he led them to achieve Arabic and Asian titles until they reached the world league in Italy. He was also known in leading teams such as Sporting and Champville and getting successful results with them. In addition to that, he was named to lead the Lebanese National teams for many times.
Recently, after his success with Champville this season, the federation wanted to accuse him of playing with the results in their game against Hoops. The federations decision came from the decision that the coach took in that game in making two of his star players rest while the others played. This strategy resulted in the loss of Champville and Hoops moving to the third position in the league table. But we wonder, is the accusation of Coach Ghassan right?
History would reveal for us the truth. When Coach Ghassan was with Sagesse, he used this strategy before the final four many times and against many teams. He used to play games against Sporting with very young Lebanese players just to give them the experience they need to be successful players in the future. Why didn’t the federation at that time take any measures? Last year, players from Sporting decided not to attend a game for their team and their team had a major loss. At first, the federation took the decision that the rules book said. However, those decisions were minimized to help the sporting team be again in a strong suite.
In addition to that, Can’t a coach have strategies that would let him relax star players if his position in the league would still be the same? Can’t young players have chance as starting players in the final six of the league. Because that would lead their team for a loss? But what if young players played well and they made surprises making their team win? Would the federations decision be the same if Champville won over hoops without their star players? Would the federation want to punish the coach if Hoops would have stayed in position four? Why would Champville be held of the responsibility of the drop of Muttahid to the fourth place knowing that Muttahid had lost many games in the final six? Is this Champville’s fault? If Champville rested its stars against Muttahid or Sporting would the results of the federation decision be the same?
No one can answer those questions, but the only known reality is that Coach Ghassan was accused for nothing and the federations decision should be canceled because we don’t want politics to mix with basketball. But we all know that the federation is under a test now, if it fails it, many things would differ. Would there be a change in the Federation turning it to the better? Waiting the Wind of change to have a better federation, we support coach Ghassan in his quest for Righteousness and May the Truth always Shines and Coach Ghassan would always stay a great Lebanese basketball school.
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