 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(November 2014) |
| Host city | Beirut |
|---|---|
| Country | Lebanon |
| Opening | 12 July 1997 |
| Closing | 27 July 1997 |
The 8th Arab Games were held in Beirut, Lebanon between July 12 and July 27, 1997. 3253 athletes from 18 countries participated in events in 22 sports.
Over 50,000 people gathered in the Sports City in Beirut for the opening ceremony of the eighth Pan-Arab games, the first such event to be hosted by Lebanon since forty years.
Ramzy Al Duhami won the gold medal in the individual event. [1]
The football tournament was won by Jordan, defeating Syria 1–0 in the final. [2]
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Egypt (EGY) | 93 | 56 | 38 | 187 |
| 2 |  Algeria (ALG) | 43 | 46 | 43 | 132 |
| 3 |  Syria (SYR) | 18 | 29 | 34 | 81 |
| 4 |  Morocco (MAR) | 18 | 15 | 16 | 49 |
| 5 |  Jordan (JOR) | 10 | 8 | 23 | 41 |
| 6 |  Lebanon (LBN) | 9 | 15 | 52 | 76 |
| 7 |  Tunisia (TUN) | 9 | 12 | 26 | 47 |
| 8 |  Qatar (QAT) | 9 | 6 | 2 | 17 |
| 9 |  Saudi Arabia (SAU) | 6 | 12 | 21 | 39 |
| 10 |  Kuwait (KUW) | 1 | 13 | 23 | 37 |
| 11 |  Oman (OMN) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 12 |  Sudan (SUD) | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 13 |  Libya (LBA) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 14 |  United Arab Emirates (UAE) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 15 |  Yemen (YEM) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 |  Palestine (PLE) | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| 17 |  Brunei (BRN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 18 |  Mauritania (MTN) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals (18 entries) | 217 | 217 | 291 | 725 | |
Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in the West Asia, located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south. Cyprus lies to its west across the Mediterranean Sea; its location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland has contributed to its rich history and shaped a cultural identity of religious diversity. It is part of the Levant region of the Near East. Lebanon is home to more than five million people and covers an area of 10,452 square kilometres (4,036 sq mi), making it the second-smallest country in continental Asia. The capital and largest city is Beirut, followed by Tripoli and Jounieh. The official language of the state is Arabic, while French is also formally recognized; Lebanese Arabic is the country's vernacular with French and English being significantly present with Modern Standard Arabic being limited to news and government matters.
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. As of 2014, Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coast. Beirut has been inhabited for more than 5,000 years, and was one of Phoenicia's most prominent city states, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. The first historical mention of Beirut is found in the Amarna letters from the New Kingdom of Egypt, which date to the 14th century BC.
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