BEIRUT: Katya Bachrouche handed Lebanon its first gold medal of the Arab Games Saturday after winning the 100m butterfly, while the men’s basketball team had a mixed weekend.

A desperately disappointing defeat to Jordan Saturday was slightly atoned for Sunday as Lebanon thrashed Sudan 114-71 with Hussein Khatib the top scorer with 31 points.

Another problem arose for Lebanon, however, over the weekend.

Naturalized American Sam Hoskin has had his Lebanese citizenship, which he earned last August prior to the Fiba Asia Championship, revoked, tearing a gaping hole in Lebanon’s front court.

Hoskin’s Lebanese citizenship was revoked after it was learned that the center had played in Israel for two years.

Sports and Youth Ministry Secretary-General Zaid Khiama confirmed the news to AFP, saying: “Hoskin was denied his Lebanese nationality, and was called up for questioning Sunday.”

“We are very sorry for what happened, the Lebanese basketball federation is held responsible over the issue; they knew that he played in Israel but they kept it a secret,” he added.

The controversy surrounding Hoskin has once again highlighted the Lebanese Basketball Federation’s bumbling and ad hoc leadership of the game. The incident is something of a fitting end to Lebanon’s participation in the Arab Games as the team slumped to two embarrassing defeats against Jordan and Tunisia, leaving them to place Morocco in the seventh and eighth place playoffs. – Additional reporting by Kenny Laurie