History
Al-Hikma in classical Arabic, El-Hekmeh in Lebanese dialect stands for "wisdom", thus also the French alternative name of the club, Sagesse (meaning wisdom in French).
The historical Hekmeh club was founded in Beirut in 1943 under the patronage of the late father Boulos Kik, supported by late Mgr. Jean Maroun, with affiliation to the Collège de la Sagesse of the Maronite Catholic Church, a leading educational institution in Lebanon and the East since 1875, despite the affiliation with the Sagesse College, the club has its own independent administration.
The basketball program was founded in 1992, when the club was headed and financed by media tycoon also widely dubbed as the Godfather of Lebanese basketball, [1] president Antoine Choueiri, he was elected president following the passing of late president Henri El Asmar.
Choueiri wanted a team that will achieve unprecedented success and popularity in a bid to change Lebanese sports history forever and unite all Lebanese behind a successful team that will represent Lebanon and Lebanese basketball in every possible competition on a national and international level. [2] [3] [4]
After the Choueiri takeover in 1992 Hekmeh/Sagesse included on its roster some of the most impactful players including Lebanese national basketball team legends who formed one of the most successful and historic partnerships in Asia at the time, [5] [6] Elie Mechantaf and Fadi El Khatib, African stars [7] [8] Assane N'diaye and Mohammed Acha, and other notable foreigners that at the time were among the elite of foreign basketball players in the East, being top ex-NBA players, FIBA Continental and World Cup participants, a high level of players that was never seen before in the Lebanese league and the neighbouring countries, and under the management of the most decorated national basketball coach Ghassan Sarkis, a dominant dream team was born taking Lebanese basketball, sports in Lebanon and the region, and Lebanon to new heights, achieving the goals that were set by Choueiri, such as the ones mentioned in the previous passage. [9] [4]
Sagesse became one of the most successful basketball clubs in Lebanon, the MENA region and Asia with 8 Lebanese Basketball League Championships, 7 Lebanese Basketball Cups, 2 Arab Club Basketball Championships, and 3 FIBA Asia Champions Cup titles.
Hekmeh made history by being the first Lebanese club to win the Arab Club Basketball Championship [10] [11] and the first Lebanese and first Arab club to win the FIBA Asia Champions Cup. [12] [13]
Sagesse are the only Arab and only Asian club to ever participate in the basketball club world championship, the McDonald's Championship organized by FIBA and the NBA, it was at the 1999 edition when Sagesse went as the Asian champions. The 1999 McDonald's Championship was the first and only time FIBA Asia was represented in the tournament. [14] [15] [16]
This exceptional participation and the way Sagesse represented Asia at the Mcdonald's Championship in Milano was praised by then Commissioner of the NBA David Stern and by former Secretary General of the FIBA Borislav Stanković among other officials. [17]
In 2012, Sagesse won a friendly game against Turkish & EuroCup winners Galatasaray S.K. during a training camp that the club was holding in Turkey, where Sagesse played a series of games against Turkish first division teams, this was the most significant game and win for a Lebanese team or any team in the region against a European team in recent times. [18]
Hekmeh are often present in international tournaments and camps, playing against a selection of the best clubs and national teams from different countries. [19] [20] [21]
In the post Choueiri era, from 2004 onwards, which was the last year the team won the Lebanese Championship, the club struggled to find consistency at the administrative level despite the involvement of many businessmen and political figures, these involvements were seen as well as a possible reason for the club's struggles rather than being helpful gestures; and despite having the finances to build a good team the club was still struggling with debt; compared to the Choueiri era the club has achieved mediocre success with inconsistent overall form through the seasons in spite of reaching many finals in different competitions. [22]
In the 2019 election of the club's general assembly "Choueiry Group" top official Mr. Elie Yahchouchi was elected club president; he was Antoine Choueiri's vice president during the late tycoon's tenure at the club. Also Deputy Prime Minister of Lebanon H.E. Ghassan Hasbani was elected head of the board of trustees. Many reforms, overhauls and major investments have been made since in addition to constructive future plans that were announced in the club's huge team presentation ceremony ahead of the 2019/20 season. [23] [24]
Since October 2023, a new administration has been elected led by the club's honorary president M.P. Jihad Pakradouni with Lawyer and Beirut City council member Ragheb Haddad as club president. [25]
