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Winter
2013 7
The new A.N. Tayeb Gymnasium is music
to Tarek Moussali’s ears.
“We are now accommodating every-
one,” the head of athletics said smiling
widely. “We are offering more practice
hours. We are offering more sports.”
For the past few years, Moussali has
been playing a frustrating juggling game
in scheduling PE lessons, team training
sessions and athletic games.
For one thing, team practice sessions–
rather an essential component for any
successful team – sometimes happened,
sometimes didn’t. There wasn’t adequate
space at IC so many teams had to prac-
tice off campus. For example, the boys
and girls varsity training was
taking place at ACS. But since
ACS had their own practice
sessions, IC had to settle for
the late slots of 7pm to 10pm.
Many students just couldn’t
make it that late.
For another, the hard concrete
ground of IC’s old basketball
court was hard on students’
legs. Moussali had to make sure
not to overstrain the students.
And of course, there’s the
weather. “PE sessions would
be cancelled and teams sent
home,” said Moussali. “The wet
courts were useless.”
But that’s all history now. The athletic
world is much brighter. The 1000 square
meter gym, which can simultaneously
accommodate two basketball courts, two
volleyball courts, six badminton courts
and a 300-seat bleacher, leaves no child
behind. At least two new sports have
already been reintroduced: badminton
and table tennis.
“Every PE session is being held as
scheduled,” he said. “And training ses-
sions are being held as long as we want.
No excuses.”
None have been offered. Moussali re-
ports that not only are all students show-
ing up to practice but that there is an
excess of students wanting to join teams.
“This gym, the lockers, the showers. It’s
attractive to them,” he said. “This is great
because we have many talented athletes
who have been training at various clubs
for years. They now see playing for IC as
their priority instead.”
The gym is fully booked daily from
8am until 7:30pm including Saturdays. If
needed, more sessions can be added at
the Anwar Mulla gym – used only for el-
ementary school students during the day.
Known for its strong athletics program,
IC offers basketball, volleyball, foot-
ball, table tennis, track and field (AUB),
swimming (AUB, LAU pools) gymnastics
(Gymbo Club), tennis, table tennis,
badminton and rugby.
“I feel that now we have a bet-
ter chance to offer our students a
proper program with no excuses for
them not to be here,” he said. “It’s a
whole new world.”
Students themselves have no
complaints. “I like it,” said secondary
school student Ray Kaedbey as she
made her way to the gym for her PE
lesson. “The old one has memories
but we can make new ones here.”
Her classmate, Nadim Hawa,
agreed. “It feels like an American
school now,” he said. “It’s how a
school should be.”
Finally, A Real Gym