In celebration of the 77th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of the Philippines and the Lebanese Republic, the Philippine Embassy sponsored a chess tournament for Lebanese children entitled the Ambassador’s Cup on 3 September 2023 at the Arab Open University (AOU). The event was co-organized by the Lebanese Chess Federation with the generous support of the AOU administration.

Photos: Upper left: Ambassador Raymond R. Balatbat officially opened the chess tournament; Vice Consuls Miko D. Cabatingan and Glaiza M. Quarteros awarded the trophy, medals, and cash prizes to the winners.

In his message, H.E. Raymond R. Balatbat expressed the importance of the sport, especially among the children, as a tool for developing strategic and interpersonal skills to help individuals make more calculated and informed decisions in various aspects of life.

 A total of 85 Lebanese children participated in four different categories based on age brackets. They were each given their certificates of participation while the emerging winners in the tournament were awarded with trophies, medals, and cash prizes.

(Photos: Players from different age categories participated in chess tournament at AOU)

The Embassy perceives this sports diplomacy endeavor as a way of promoting and strengthening people-to-people ties between the younger generation of Lebanese and Filipino peoples. The first Ambassador’s Cup will be a springboard for wider and more inclusive annual chess tournaments in the future by the Philippine Embassy in Lebanon.

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