Four gamers/racing enthusiasts are representing Lebanon in the Nissan GT Academy Middle East final this weekend in Dubai, including Abdel Hadi brothers Bahaa and Hadi, who are already well-known for their participation in the Lebanese Drifting Championship and Red Bull Car Park Drift, in addition to Jamal Ghandour and Mohammed Chehab.
The GT Academy, in case you did not know, is a driver discovery/development program established in 2008 through a collaboration between Gran Turismo (the video game) and Nissan. Online qualifiers are held within Gran Turismo, and the top qualifiers are invited to National Finals in each participating country.
Those who pass the Middle East final will then participate in a Race Camp held at Silverstone, UK, for the final selection. The final winner will undergo an intensive Driver Development Programme designed by Nissan, and will participate in races around the world as a professional driver.
28 drivers from seven countries in the region are taking part in the Middle East event, and it’s already looking good for the Lebanese team, with Bahaa Abdel Hadi claiming first place on the first day of competition, while Jamal Ghandour finished right behind in second place.
We would like to wish the Lebanese contestants the best of luck in the remaining parts of the competition.