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Lebanon Touch, the founding committee of touch in Lebanon, has officially become a full member of the International Touch Federation. From now on, Lebanon will be able to take part in international tournaments, including the 2024 World Cup.

Lebanon Touch, the founding committee of touch in Lebanon, organized the Lebanon 2023 Championship from Saturday May 27 to Saturday July 8 on the fields of Collège Notre-Dame de Jamhour. The Lycans team won the men’s title, while the Jamhour team took the women’s crown. In the under-16 and under-13 categories, it was the Blue Stars who came out on top in both classes. Here are the team rankings by age category at the end of the championship:

Under-13

1. Blue Stars

2. Academy Hyenas.

Under-16

1. Blue Stars 1

2. Academy Hyenas

3. Blue Stars 2.

Women

1. Jamhour 2

2. Aconites

3. Jamhour 1

4. Blue Stars.

Men

1. Lycans

2. Jamhour Black Lions

3. Black Cubs

4. Mana

5. AUB

6. Blue Stars

7. Hawkeyes.

As a reminder, touch –also known as touch rugby– is a sport created in Australia in the 1960s. Its rules are similar to XIII rugby, from which it derives. As violent contact is not permitted in this discipline, there is no scrum or tackle in the rugby sense of the term. As a result, the sport can easily be played by both genders. In fact, mixed play is one of the hallmarks of touch. It can also be played “from 7 to 77 years of age,” assures Georges Aoun, President of Lebanon Touch, to This is Beirut.

“The Lebanon Touch committee is aiming to become a fully-fledged federation,” explains Georges Aoun. “We’re just waiting for approval from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, which has already received federation applications from several clubs and teams. However, like everything else in Lebanon, the application process is taking a long time,” he added. Meanwhile, on June 20, Lebanon Touch officially became a full member of the International Touch Federation. “Previously, we were simply associate members, with a right of review but no right to vote within the International Touch Federation. Now, as full members, we can intervene in the decision-making process. What’s more, as mere associate members, we could only play in local or regional tournaments; whereas today, as official members of the International Touch Federation, we can take part in international tournaments, including next year’s World Cup. Lebanon’s place at the 2024 World Cup is definitely assured,” says Georges Aoun.

Lebanon will also be taking part in the Asian Touch Cup for the very first time this year, with the 2023 edition to be held in Malaysia in September. Lebanon will be represented by three national selections: Mixed Open, Women’s Open and Men’s Open.