Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut
Al Riyadi Club, also known as Riyadi Club and Sporting Club (Arabic: النادي الرياضي بيروت An-Nadi Al Riyadi Beirut) is a Lebanese Basketball club based in Raouché, Beirut where men's and women's tournaments are held every year.
An amateur side also exists, where participants can sign up for classes and train for preparation to become professional basketball players. The club also holds ping-pong, martial arts, dancing, and other tournaments.
History
The club's foundation began in 1934 by Hussein Sejaan, Hassan Ladki, Fouad Zantout, Youssef Shaker, Mustafa Shaker, Zouheir Yatim, Helmi Chehab, and Wafic Nsouli at that time. In 1945, the Ministry of the Interior gave permission to "Riyadi Club in Beirut" to get involved in various sports in its location in Raouché. Some of these sports were basketball, volleyball, handball, tennis, and table tennis (Ping Pong).
In 1947, Al Riyadi club moved from Raouché to Sanayeh. President Bechara El Khoury, Prime Minister Riad El-Solh and Saeb Salam attended the opening ceremony. They were also all present at Al Riyadi's first basketball game against Turkish Galatasaray S.K. The club returned to its current location in Raouché facing the Bain Militaire in 1954.
