GAME started in Lebanon in 2007 as the first international setting for GAME to operate in. GAME Lebanon organizes training and competitions in street basketball, street soccer and street dance for children across disadvantaged neighborhoods in Lebanon.
The young Playmakers run the practices in the local GAME Zones.
Lebanon’s Youth Building Dreams is a Youth-led project that aims on establishing public spaces in 8 localities around Lebanon through the Youth, called Dream Builders, who will take on the lead in advocating and creating public spaces for sports and activating them by hosting free weekly street sports activities.
This project is implemented by GAME and NAHNOO as the main implementing partners and is funded by the Danish International Development Agency, DANIDA, to strengthen social cohesion and civic engagement in Lebanon starting 2021 until 2023.
GAME is taking part of the Youth RESOLVE 2 project, which is the continuation of a project funded by the European Union’s Regional Trust Fund, the EU MADAD Fund, and carried out by World Vision, UTOPIA, DPNA and GAME. The goal of the consortium is to empower youth by providing them with the tools to become leading actors in their communities.
GAME will be establishing 30 new GAME Zones around the country, where public spaces for street sports will be renovated and equipped to welcome all kids, youth and community members. The goal is to work on building communities’ resilience and strengthening social stability through Street-Sports and for the first time in Lebanon, through Street-Sports Incubator.
The Street Sports Incubator (SSI) is an innovative entrepreneurship program, implemented by GAME for the first time in Lebanon as part of the Youth RESOLVE 2 project funded by the European Union.
The program is targeting youth with creative ideas related to sports and culture to transform their aspirations into successful entrepreneurial projects, whether as start-ups or communal initiatives.
GAME already hosted 3 cycles of the SSI granting seed funding for almost a 100 inovative projects in Lebanon.
Check out pictures from Cycle II here
Visit the SSI Website for info about the program.
GAME offers local young people an education as volunteers, GAME Playmakers, which are street sports instructors and role models in underserved communities. The education prepares the volunteers to plan and lead weekly training sessions in street sports and street culture and the education is completely free.
To become a playmaker, you attend our yearly recruitment called Playmaker Camp. In every Playmaker Camp, you will meet like-minded youth from the whole country, and you will be given the opportunity to strengthen your skills. You will be trained as a coach in a sport of your choice, and you will be educated on how to organise the practices.
When joining the Playmaker program, you will gain experience with voluntary social work, and you will get the chance to put your own touch on the street activities in your neighbourhood.
Check out pictures from Playmaker Camp 2022
A street-sports and cultural festival
GAME ends every season with a big sports tournament in Beirut to celebrate street sports and street culture. This yearly event is full of Football, Basketball and Dance competitions all day long, also DJ’s and graffiti-artists puts in the extra street-touch. More than 1000 people from different areas in Lebanon are involved in the yearly event.
The event is hosted by GAME and organized by the Playmakers, where they help operate the full event, so they can learn a lot of new cool things.
Check out pictures from GAME Finals 2019
Follow GAME Lebanon on Facebook and @gamelebanon on Instagram and Twitter to stay updated on weekly activities, upcoming projects and our cool Playmakers.
For more information, please contact: lebanon@game.ngo
