This is how we cheer for sports in Lebanon :S

{ September 25, 2010 @ 3:47 am } · { Me }

After 7 consecutive hours of nagging, I finally agreed to take my 14 years old brother, to watch the final basketball game of 9th Arab basketball tournament, Lebanon vs. Egypt. I picked up my friend Haitham, who himself isn’t a basketball fan, and headed to the Madina Riyadiya (where the game was held). We got there at the end of the 2nd quarter, but getting in wasn’t easy.

The army people at the door wouldn’t let us in, saying that it is full inside and no one can enter anymore, so I asked him if it is possible for my brother just to have a sneak preview, since he is leaving in a couple of days (its is true), after few minutes of non-stop talking, he finally let him in. Few minutes later, my brother goes up calling Haitham and I to follow him, and we ended up at the VIP section, that was packed as well. (zabat wasta ma3 el jayhsi )

So we get there and the first thing I hears is ” Allah w Nasrallah wel Dahyeh killa ” from one side, and “Allah w Hariri w Tari2 Jdideh”, from the other side, and off course there were a couple of Alis and Omars as well. I was shocked, we are here to watch the game while some others are only present to prove a certain irrelevant point, that makes completely no sense, I was disappointed.

That wasn’t it, some even reached the point to cuss the Egyptian president using the worst words you can imagine, I felt offended. Being there made me feel enraged, how can you people cheer for the same team yet you are cussing each other, how can you be so illiterate, uneducated, that you mix sports and politics. I wanted to shout at them, but they wouldn’t listen to me. It was like they came to watch this game just to prove a certain political point.

4th Quarter

These same persons didn’t mind dancing on the music that was played during halftimes, ” I wanna fly so high” made the audience stand up and dance, I believe some of them even took the advantage of this occasion to show some of their dancing abilities,ughhhhhhhhh…..”hayetiiii ma atyabooo” were also some of the words used by the crowds when a female reporter stood in the court to film her piece to cam, poor her :@

I decided to stand away from all the guys surrounding me, while Haitham was with my brother “taking care of him”. Because i was looking lonely and scared, one of the army guys called me up and asked me to stand next to him, at first i smiled and I said it is ok, but he insisted so i did go, finally a good view and now I was at the VVIP section, yeyyyy me: D

The VVIP section, where I was standing

Leaving all these “uncivilization” aside, it was a good game, even though it ended with the loss of Lebanon. It was nice to hear every now and then the crowd cheering for Lebanon, and screaming out loud when any of the Lebanese team members scores. People from all ages were there clapping, and shouting for their country, that was something not to be missed.

Here is a video I shot of the audience cheering for Lebanon