In 1889, the first tennis Court was built in Brummana thanks to Thomas Little, the principal of Brummana High School. Since then, tennis courts increased in number: in the American University of Beirut (AUB), in Beirut Tennis Club and in the British Club in Beirut.
 

In 1927, Brummana Sports Club organized the first tennis tournament at Brummana High School and the proceeds of this event were donated to charity. Furthermore, many international competitions were held with the aim of providing the adequate help for thc needy students in Brummana and its suburbs. Since then, Brummana famed for its international sport competitions and became a magnet for numbers of athletes coming from the Middle East, the United States, France, Russia, England, Belgium, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Mexico, Germany, Chile, Italy and many more.
 

Amine Abu-Hamad “Hero of the East”
Amine Abu-Hamad, known as “Hero of the East” in the United States. He famed for performing circus acts in the U.S. in the late 19th century, and was awarded several international medals. He spent the last years of his life in Lebanon and performed in an evening show in Brummana where he held with his teeth a table of 8 meters in length with a 3Okg with a boy on it.

In 1897 he held 9 Men on his shoulders…
 

During the production of this book, Brumrnana High School was the host of the Special Olympiad in Basketball Championship for girls in the Middle East and North Africa, held between the 23rd and 29th of June 2001 under the patronage of First Lady, Mrs. Andree Lahoud. This event was a success thanks to the collaboration of the Ministries of Social Affairs, Culture, Health, Education and Tourism as well as the Lebanese Army and the Internal Security Forces. The World Special Olympiad was founded in 1968 hr Mrs. Onis Kennedy Shrayfer, its Honorary President. In 1989, the Special Lebanese Olympiad was founded in the aim of giving the handicapped the chance of a further participation in the social life hr taking part in the sport activities through one team gathering them with the normal athletes.

In the 1950s, the BHS founded Dancing Groups (Folkloric and international dance shows), where Brunimana’s gifted children would perform on the rhythm of the music played by Brummanians such as Naef Awwad. Their shows took place in the BHS (Brummana) and the American University of Beirut (AUB).
These events drew the attention of the former president of the Lebanese Republic Camille Chamoun during the 1950s who liked the idea, adopted it, and started the Baalbeck Festivals.

 

2. Summer Festival

The Summer Festival in the fifties was a one-day celebration in the month of August. Crowds from inside and outside Brummana would attend the festival held in different locations as the Midan (the Lazarist playground) or under the oak tree of Prophet Isaiah church.
The ‘Nawbeh” (the village orchestra) would always be present, headed by the “Seif’ and ‘Tirs” (swordplay). By tradition, the organizing committee of the festival would ask the hotels to prepare a cake in the shape of a specific edifice in Brummana. Printania Hotel once offered a cake in the shape of Saint Takla church, and Mr. Albert Rizk, owner of Park Hotel, once offered a cake in the shape of a tennis court. It is essential to mention that Tennis was introduced to the East through Brummana High School in 1932.