The official opening of the Beirut Sports Festival took place on Thursday at the Beirut Forum in the presence of numerous political, military, sporting and journalistic personalities. Present at the opening ceremony were the Minister of Tourism, Walid Nassar, MPs Michel Mouawad and Elias Hankache, the President of the Lebanese Olympic Committee, Pierre Jalkh, Colonel André Haddad representing the Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Army, Joseph Aoun, and the Mohafez of Beirut, Marwan Abboud. The sports federations were also present: Akram Halabi (Basketball), Walid Kassouf (Volleyball), Mohamad Dagher (MMA), Georges Kopaly (Table Tennis), Georges Nseir (Kung-fu), Georges Zeidan (Fencing), Joe Khoury (Taekwondo) as well as the President of the “Automobile et Touring Club du Liban”, Elie Assaf. Also in attendance were Billy Karam and Abdo Feghali (Auto) and Ray Bassil (Shooting).
All the guests were welcomed by the founder of the Beirut Sports Festival, Karim Andary, assisted by members of the organizing committee. Karim Andary then kicked off the festivities, which began with a magnificent score of aerial acrobatics. The show continued with exceptional demonstrations of fencing, taekwondo, kung fu, wushu and an impressive drifting sequence on the Beirut Forum forecourt. At the same time, basketball, combat sports, table tennis and arm-wrestling competitions were held throughout the Beirut Sports Festival. Numerous exhibitors completed the picture of this exceptional event.
All these activities take place over an area of almost 10,000 square meters.
The Beirut Sports Festival continues at the Beirut Forum until May 28. This major sporting event will be open to all from 4pm to 10pm.