News

The Order of Malta Lebanon held the final championship matches in football and basketball at the Notre Dame du Jamhour School, marking the conclusion of the fourth edition of its Sports Program. The program brought together nearly 500 children from across Lebanon, who underwent months of intensive training, culminating in an atmosphere of enthusiasm, fair play, and shared joy at this closing tournament.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Sports Program, launched in 2022, continues its successful journey. While last year's preparatory training sessions were held, the final tournament could not take place due to exceptional circumstances. Nevertheless, the program drew remarkable interest and success, reflected in the growing participation year after year and the warm reception from families, who praised the initiative for the support it provides to them, the happiness it brings to their children, and its role in developing their physical and intellectual capacities while building their self-confidence.

The program has become a safe haven and a nurturing space for children from all regions of Lebanon, enabling them to develop their skills, compete in a spirit of friendship, learn, and forge new bonds. It also contributes to shaping their character within a healthy and supportive environment, instilling in them ambition and a drive for excellence, while reinforcing core values and fostering a spirit of teamwork in pursuit of shared goals.

The Order has further developed the program to incorporate a health component complementing the sports activities, ensuring that all participating children have access to free follow-up care with a pediatrician and can benefit from the services offered at the Order of Malta Lebanon's Community Health Centers.

Nearly 500 girls and boys, aged between 6 and 15, took part in this sporting celebration. The participants are residents in the catchment areas of the Order of Malta Lebanon's nine Community Health Centers — Kobayat, Barqa, Khaldieh, Ain el-Remmaneh, Zouk Michael, Yaroun, Siddiqine, Roum, and Kefarya — as well as its six mobile medical units operating across Akkar, the Chouf, the West Bekaa, North Lebanon, the Northern Bekaa, and South Lebanon. The matches were held under the supervision of professional coaches and referees appointed by the Beirut Football Academy (BFA).

The Managing Director of the Order of Malta Lebanon, Mrs. Lelia El-Khazen Mallat, extended her gratitude to the Order’s staff and volunteers for their dedicated efforts, and expressed her appreciation for the trust shown by the families and the perseverance and determination of the children to participate. She affirmed that these collective efforts made this exceptional sporting day possible. Mrs. El-Khazen underscored the pivotal role of the volunteers, who embody the very essence of the Order's mission and spared no effort to ensure the success of this event.

The closing ceremony was attended by more than one thousand participants — children, parents, coaches, social workers, center directors, staff, and volunteers — who came from across the country, united by their shared commitment to sport and the well-being of children.

Lebanese athlete and adventurer Maxim Chaya and Executive Director Lelia El-Khazen Mallat presented the trophies to the winning teams during the closing ceremony, with emphasis placed on the significance of a day that stood as a celebration of the Order of Malta Lebanon's united extended family.

In her closing remarks, after expressing her pride in the abilities demonstrated by the participating children, the Order of Malta Lebanon's Social Pillar Director, Mrs. Aya Khoury, extended her thanks to the Government of Monaco and the French Embassy in Lebanon for their support of the 2025 Sports Program’s training sessions and final tournament. Mrs. Khoury also thanked the sponsors of the closing tournament: Treehouse, Holdal, El Rifai, Najjar, Sandeh, Fattal, Aquafina, and Connex. She extended special thanks to Notre Dame du Jamhour School and to the Beirut Football Academy (BFA) for their successful cooperation throughout both the training sessions and the final tournament, as well as to all those generous supporters who believed in the potential of the children and placed their trust in the Order of Malta Lebanon.