Anthony Bassil receiving his gold medal at the end of the under-15 tournament. (Credit: DR)
It has been a long time since a Lebanese fencing team has known such a harvest. From Aug. 26 to 31, the Lebanese youth shone on the boards of the Jordanian capital. At the West Asian junior fencing championships, the young cedars won a total of 12 medals — a more than honorable result welcomed by the president of the National Fencing Federation, Jihad Salamé.
Among the many Lebanese athletes who shone during this competition, Anthony Bassil and Elias Jalbout are at the forefront. Winners of the individual épée tournament, respectively in the under-15 and under-13 categories, they won their first personal titles in the international arena, giving the Lebanese delegation one gold medal and one silver.
Speaking after the win, Christophe Clément, Bassil's coach since the fencer’s debut, said, "For a long time Anthony has had the potential to win international titles … It's a very good thing that, this time, he managed to implement what he knew how to do and to show, in competition, his real level."
Born in Lebanon before moving to Qatar at the age of one, the current student at the Lycée Bonaparte in Doha is not a newcomer. With nearly nine years of fencing behind him, this admirer of French épéeist Yannick Borel, a multiple world champion and Olympic medalist, has been competing in fencing since he was 10 years old.
Practicing several times a week with more than 20 Lebanese compatriots at the fencing academy founded in January 2014 by Clément, he keeps improving his level of play: "Anthony has crossed a milestone this year,” says the former coach of the Qatari national team. “Until the last national championships in Lebanon [won by Bassil last July], he had a lot of trouble managing his stress and could completely lose his temper … Since then, he has proven that he has the ability to impose his game and especially win a final."
“I felt very good in this competition," Bassil tells L’Orient-Le Jour. “I always try to apply what I've been practicing with my coach all year long, and this time it worked out well."
Despite the difficulties encountered along his 10-fight journey, Bassil never left any room for doubt. When he qualified for the final after a hard-fought fight against the Omani fencer Saïd al-Shaabi, concluded with a score of 10 hits to seven in his favor, he knew at that moment that the hardest part was already done. "My feeling after my victory in the semi-final was incredible," the champion said, adding, “But strangely enough, during the final, I hardly felt anything because from the middle of the fight, I knew I was going to win. I had analyzed the game of my opponent, I was confident and sure of my strength.”
That's why the victor (10-7) over Kuwaiti Abdelaziz al-Audi showed a contained joy at the moment of his final, triumphant sword stroke. His parents, however, could not contain their emotion when the Lebanese anthem rang out to celebrate their son's first international title.
Having themselves covered the costs of the trip to Jordan, due to the lack of funds offered by the Lebanese Federation, they also had the chance to witness a second family title thanks to the performance of their youngest son Marc, who took bronze in the épée tournament for the under-13 year olds.
Lebanon’s female fencers also added two bronze medals to the Lebanese delegation's basket, thanks to the prowess of Chloé el-Khazen in foil under-13 and Mia Mneimné in épée under-13.
“I saw a real personal investment from the whole team," said Bassil. “We all went to see each other's fights to encourage each other, even before our own matches. There was a lot of solidarity among us."
This group dynamic pushing each and everyone forward will be essential for Lebanese fencing to achieve such a victory again.
If sufficient means are put on the table, a large young Lebanese delegation will be able to attend the Asian championships in March 2023. In the meantime, Bassil will have the opportunity to continue his training at the next championships in Qatar and to continue his progression before, who knows, getting closer to the heights reached by his French idol.
