- 24
- July
- 2025
The ATCL president welcomed a French trio to introduce Raqball, a rising sport gaining global traction.
We’ve known Billy Karam as a passionate enthusiast of engines, model cars, and record collections. Now, he turns his curiosity toward a new sport that combines speed, technique, and coordination: raqball.
A delegation from the International Union of Raqball, led by three French representatives—Najah Lakhdar, Thomas Clauss, and Laurent Bidari—was received on Wednesday at the Lebanese Automobile and Touring Club (ATCL) in Kaslik.
The goal: to introduce to Lebanon this hybrid sport, born in Europe, which blends handball, basketball, and squash, and continues to gain new followers every day.
From Drift to Fast Ball
In the historic lounges of the ATCL, under the attentive eye of President Billy Karam, the French trio presented the rules of the game, the values of raqball, and the ambitions of the international federation.
A sport that promotes collective intelligence, execution speed, and skill: one ball, four walls, two teams, and a frantic rhythm.
Around the table, two members of the ATCL executive committee—Imad Lahoud and Nassib Haddad—listened attentively to the technical explanations.
Also present was Ibrahim Menassa, president of the basketball commission at Champville Club, who supports the development of raqball in the region.
Lebanon, Future Playground
Enthusiastic about this sporting innovation, Billy Karam recounted for his guests the centennial history of the club he leads—one of the oldest and most prestigious in the country—highlighting the wide variety of disciplines practiced: motorsport, tennis, table tennis, sailing, water skiing… and now, perhaps, raqball.
The president of the ATCL expressed his willingness to open the club’s facilities to this rapidly expanding discipline, while praising the initiative and the spirit of openness shown by the French emissaries.
Sport Show and Honorary Lunch
To conclude the visit, a live demonstration was organized. Amid blazing rebounds and lightning-fast passes, the participants got a taste of this modern, spectacular, and highly accessible sport.
The meeting ended on a friendly note with a lunch held in honor of the visiting delegation.
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