🗣️🇱🇧 A Leader with Vision: Eleni Kapogianni Appointed Head Coach of the Lebanon Women’s National Team

-

Lebanese women’s basketball enters a new chapter as Eleni Kapogianni, the experienced Greek coach, takes the helm of the Lebanon Women’s National Team.

Eleni is not just another name on a resume — she is a coach with deep roots in European women’s basketball and a proven history of building disciplined, competitive teams. Born in Greece in 1969, she has coached some of the country’s biggest clubs, including Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, leading Olympiacos to undefeated league and cup titles in consecutive seasons.



Her career later expanded internationally, with coaching experiences in Lebanon, China, and most recently with the Iran Women’s National Team, giving her a rare blend of European structure and international adaptability.

What makes this appointment particularly exciting is not only her résumé, but her philosophy. Eleni is known as a coach who emphasizes:

• Team identity and discipline

• Player development over shortcuts

• Tactical clarity on both ends of the floor

• Strong locker-room culture



She understands that building a national team is not just about X’s and O’s, but about creating belief, consistency, and long-term direction.

Lebanon’s women’s program has been steadily progressing over the past years, and this move signals a clear intention: to raise standards and think long-term rather than chase short-term fixes.

There is genuine optimism around this choice.

Not because success will come overnight — but because the foundation is being laid by someone who knows how to build.

This is not a symbolic hire.

This is a basketball decision.

This is a vision-driven appointment.

A leader with experience.

A coach with credibility.

A new chapter for Lebanon Women’s Basketball. 🇱🇧🏀

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WASL West Asia Picture Becoming Clear: Astana Close to First Place as Semi-Final Matchups Take Shape

-
Image
With only a few games left in the FIBA WASL West Asia regular phase, the picture is becoming clearer, and everything points toward two heavyweight semi-final matchups that could define the tournament. At this stage, there is a very strong chance that the West Asia Semi-Finals will shape up as: Astana vs Sagesse Riyadi vs Gorgan Image : WASL Image : WASL The current standings explain why this scenario is taking form: 1. Astana (5–1) 2. Riyadi (4–2) 3. Gorgan (3–2) 4. Sagesse (2–4) 5. Al Wahda (0–5) Astana currently sit at the top with a 5–1 record and still have two games remaining in Lebanon, against Riyadi and Al Wahda. On paper, Astana should handle Al Wahda, which would push their record to 6–1 and further solidify their position as table leaders. That leaves Riyadi with one clear mission: beat Astana next week — and not just win, but win by at least 14 points. Astana won the first leg (“aller”) by 13 points, meaning Riyadi need a +14 victory to swing the head-to-head tiebreaker and...
Read more

A Vision for Lebanon Basketball: Building a Competitive National Team for the Next 5 Years

-
Image
 Lebanon basketball has always moved in cycles. Generations pass, leaders rise, and new talents slowly take shape. The country has never lacked skill. What it has often lacked is continuity, long-term planning, and a clear identity. When looking five years ahead, I truly believe Lebanon can build a national team that is competitive in Asia and dangerous internationally if the right pieces are  developed and placed in the right roles. Below is my personal vision of a 12–13 man roster that could represent Lebanon in the coming years. Point Guards • Wael Arakji – 195 cm Asia MVP 2022 with the national team. Asia MVP at club level. One of the most gifted offensive players Lebanon has ever produced. A true clutch performer. His legendary shots in the 2022 Asian Cup semifinals and finals and his heroic performance against France at the World Cup will always be remembered. He remains the face of Lebanese basketball and the primary ball handler. Image : FIBA • Ali Mansour Currentl...
Read more

Sagesse: Six Threes Are Not Enough: Lebanese Basketball’s Shooting Crisis Exposed

-
Image
Three-point shooting is no longer a luxury in modern basketball. It is not a bonus. It is not a “nice addition.” It is a fundamental pillar of the game. And what we witnessed in the Sagesse vs Astana game is a painful reminder of how far Lebanese basketball still is from embracing this reality. Let’s start with the raw numbers. Sagesse finished the game with 6 three-pointers made out of 22 attempts. That is 18 points from beyond the arc out of a total of 102. Astana, on the other hand, knocked down 19 three-pointers out of 45 attempts. That is 57 points from three out of their 104 total. Read that again. Astana scored 39 more points from three-point range than Sagesse. You don’t need advanced analytics to understand the story of the game. The difference is right there. Basketball at the highest level today is a spacing game. Teams stretch the floor, punish help defense, and create driving lanes by forcing opponents to respect shooters. When you cannot shoot, everything becomes harder. ...
Read more