Valdez Edgecombe scoring a lay-up in front of Ali Haidar, during the semifinal of the basketball OQT in Valencia, Spain, on Saturday, July 6, 2024. (Credit: FIBA)
With too many headwinds, Lebanon couldn't overcome the obstacle of the Bahamas on Saturday in Valencia, where the national team lost (89-72) in the semifinals of the Olympic Qualification Tournament (OQT) for the Paris Games, to be held from July 27 to Aug. 11.
Already without playmaker Wael Arakji, who stayed behind in Lebanon to attend the birth of his first child, and the injured Amir Saoud, The Cedars were also without coach Miodrag Perisic, who had to return to Serbia following the death of his mother. These absences weighed heavily as the squad lined out against a Bahamian team led by its NBA players and now one step away from a historic place at the Olympic Games. In the final of the OQT, the Caribbean team will face Spain, who beat Finland 81-74.
Lebanon had started well in the opening minutes, but the Bahamas quickly took off with a 16-4 run giving them a 15-point lead at the end of the first quarter (31-16).
The Cedars responded in the second half, pulling back to within seven points thanks to another fine performance from Youssef Khayat, before getting even closer thanks to another three-pointer from Sergio Darwich, scorer of 22 points and five rebounds, at the start of the fourth quarter. Another comeback was aborted by the Bahamas' solidity, author of the next seven points, which enabled them to open up a definitive gap.
Deandre Ayton wasted no time in asserting his authority inside — 10 points in the first quarter with a series of dunks — before finishing with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Buddy Hield also recorded a double-double with 19 points and 10 assists, showing that the connection between the two NBA players is as strong as ever. Not forgetting young VJ Edgecombe, who once again impressed with 13 points, six rebounds, eight assists and three steals.
Despite its strength of character, which enabled it to qualify at the expense of Angola on Thursday (74-70), Lebanon fell short of reaching a final that would have been almost impossible to win anyway against the host country of this OQT: Spain, the reigning European champion and overwhelming favorite.
The Lebanese Olympic delegation to Paris will therefore not exceed nine athletes: Ray Bassil (shooting sports), Laetitia Aoun (taekwondo), Caramnob Segaipov (judo), Maria Sahakian (table tennis), Philippe Wakim (fencing), Benjamin Hassan (tennis), Simon Doueihy and Lynn al-Hajj (swimming) and one representative for athletics, whose identity has not yet been made official.
This article was originally published in French on L'Orient-Le Jour.
