BEIRUT: A cooperation
agreement was signed on Tuesday between the Lebanese and Cuban
Olympic committees in the presence of Cuba's Ambassador Dario
de Urra Torriente. The Cuban Deputy Premier and head of the
Cuban Olympic Committee, Jose Fernandez Alvarez, signed the
bilateral agreement with his Lebanese counterpart, Major
General Suheil Khoury. The cooperation agreement will be in
effect for the next five years, and mainly encourages visits
by both country's clubs and national teams.
A free exchange of experts
and trainers in the field of sport and sport sciences is also
part of the agreement. The term sport sciences refers to the
methods of organizing tournaments and events and the training
of sports officials. "Sport does not only mean going to the
court and playing, as the preparation and the success of
events are also part of the process," said Hassan Moheiddine,
the press officer for Lebanon's Olympic Committee. By virtue
of the agreement, sessions offering advanced training to
trainers and coaches will also be held, as well as preparing
programs related to sports medicine and steroids. Joint
training camps for Cuban and Lebanese national teams will also
be held in both countries. "This agreement is so important for
Lebanon," Khoury said, "as Cuba is famous for winning medals
in individual and collective games, such as athletics and
basketball." Khoury added that in Cuba there is an institution
that is famous for preparing trainers and experts. "There are
around 6,000 coaches who train outside Cuba and who have
graduated from this institution," he said. "We have to benefit
from this agreement since the Cuban government will surely
help us in the domain of sports."
Thanks to the agreement,
Khoury added, the financial burden on clubs here will
decrease, while their expertise will increase.
