A Lebanon where every young talent has a real chance.
Since 2007, Lebanese Young Talents has grown from a small idea into a registered NGO at the heart of community-based sport and youth development in Lebanon.
Born from sport. Built for Lebanon.
LYT was founded in 2007 by Olympian Zeina Mina and Dr. Georges Assaf, two people whose entire lives have been devoted to sport, education, and the development of Lebanese athletes. What started as a project to give a handful of young athletes access to coaching has grown into a national NGO running multi-year community programs across the country.
Through every crisis Lebanon has weathered, economic collapse, the 2020 port blast, the 2024 war, LYT has kept showing up: providing safe spaces, equipment, training, and mentorship to the young people who need it most.
A generation of Lebanese youth empowered to lead, physically, mentally, and academically.
We are committed to fostering the holistic development of children and youth through sport and education, building resilience, leadership, and hope.
Provide access. Build skills. Open doors.
Through community-based programs, partnerships with national and international institutions, and a network of elite athletes and coaches, LYT delivers the resources Lebanese youth need to turn talent into opportunity.
Five principles that guide everything we do.
Transparency & Integrity
We work with UNOPS, UNESCO, AFD and the French Embassy. Every dollar is tracked, audited, and reported.
Empowerment through Education & Training
Education and structured training are the lever. We fund schooling, build coaching capacity, and certify trainers across Lebanon.
Social Justice
Lebanon's youth deserve a fair shot regardless of region, gender, ability, or circumstance. Our programs are designed around that.
Inclusion
Built around access, for women and girls, persons with disabilities, refugees, and youth from underserved areas.
Commitment
Through every crisis Lebanon has faced since 2007, LYT has kept showing up. That's the only metric that matters in the long run.
Who's behind LYT.
Decades of Olympic-level experience, technical expertise, and an unshakeable commitment to Lebanon.
Zeina Mina
A former Olympic athlete (Los Angeles 1984) and Doctor of Sports Sciences, Zeina has dedicated her career to advancing Lebanese sport. She served as Advisor to the Minister of Youth and Sports, led the sports commission for the 2009 Jeux de la Francophonie, and founded "Performance First", a sports training and evaluation center.
Zeina launched Lebanese Young Talents, introduced a sports technical baccalaureate, and founded the Sports Academy School to balance academics and athletics. In 2019, she became the first woman to direct the Francophone Games' international committee in Paris, where she now lives.
Dr. Georges Assaf
Dr. Georges Assaf holds a doctorate in Sports Physiology from the University of Kinesiology in Zagreb. He is co-founder and Technical Director at Performance First Health Club and Sports Academy School.
Throughout his career he has worked with elite athletes and professional teams across Lebanon and the Arab world, including the Football and Basketball National teams, and has served as an Olympic coach for track and field athletes. He is currently Director of the European Diploma for Strength and Conditioning at Antonine University in Lebanon, and a Lecturer at Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University.
George Assaf
Leads day-to-day operations, programs strategy, and partner relationships.
Elias Ayoub
Provides technical oversight on all sports-for-development programs.
Bassel Talhouk
From a small project to a national NGO.
LYT is founded
Zeina Mina and Dr. Georges Assaf launch Lebanese Young Talents with a simple mission: open the doors of elite sport to Lebanese youth.
Jeux de la Francophonie
LYT leadership leads the sports commission for the Francophone Games hosted in Lebanon.
Sports Education Scholarship Program
In partnership with SAS, LYT helps fund the education of student-athletes balancing sport and academics.
Beirut Marathon partnership begins
LYT joins the Beirut Marathon Association as an NGO partner for the Run For A Cause, proceeds funding student education and program continuity.
Emergency War Relief
During the conflict, LYT delivers essential aid to displaced families across 20+ communities in the south and Chouf.
UNOPS multi-site partnership
LYT secures multi-year UNOPS grants for Bourj Hammoud and Jisr el Wati, peacebuilding through sport at scale.
Sahtak Bi Idak, national reach
With the French Embassy, LYT brings a national public-health campaign to every region of Lebanon.