Amchit beat Sagesse, Riyadi in race for Freije

Newly promoted Amchit have beaten off competition from Sagesse and Riyadi to sign Lebanese-American power forward Matt Freije in one of the biggest summer transfer deals in the Lebanese basketball league so far. Freije (208cm, F) has signed for four years, and is expected to receive around $300,000 yearly, his agent Jad Saade told The Daily Star. The 31-year-old forward has now become the highest paid local player ahead of Lebanon’s legend, Champville’s Fadi al-Khatib. Freije will be declared eligible to play as a Lebanese. Freije had long been linked to possible moves to Sagesse or Riyadi during the previous seasons, and he actually signed for Riyadi three years ago, but his games were restricted to friendly tournaments, as he was prevented from playing in the Lebanese league as a local due to complex nationality issues. Amchit’s hijacking of the transfer, however, means another team will join the battle for the title next year, as Freije will boost the prospects of any local team. He previously represented Lebanon internationally in the 2009 Asian Championship in Tianjin, where Lebanon finished fourth and failed to earn a ticket directly to the World Championship in Turkey the next year, before FIBA awarded The Cedars a wild card, giving Freije another chance to suit up with Lebanon. Freije has advancing basketball skills and can score from the midrange and come behind the screen for 3- pointers, at which he excels. He can also take advantage of his versatility to play from inside and outside. In related news, Sabah Khoury has signed for hometown club Amchit, leaving the team he played with for most of his career in Lebanon, Sagesse. The newly promoted team are also in negotiations with several players, including Mouttahed’s American point guard Austin Johnson, Lebanese-Canadian forward Robbie Habib and Hoops center Mohammad Hamdar. From TheDailyStar