The Lebanese delegation at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Credit: Pedro Ugarte/AFP)
While awaiting the results of the basketball team, whose qualifying tournament will take place on Tuesday and Thursday in Spain, the Lebanese delegation for the 33rd Summer Olympic Games, held from July 26 to August 11, has grown with five newcomers in recent weeks.
Four athletes secured their spots through outstanding individual performances: Ray Bassil in shooting sports, Caramnob Sagaipov in judo (under 90kg), Laetitia Aoun in taekwondo (under 57kg) and Mariana Sahakian in table tennis.
Additionally, thanks to the “universality places” system, designed to ensure diversity by allowing athletes from underrepresented nations to compete, five Lebanese athletes received invitations, also known as “wild cards.”
Five invitations
“These invitations are reserved for athletes from ‘small’ nations who narrowly missed qualifying,” said François Saade, President of the Lebanese Judo Federation and coordinator of the Lebanese Olympic delegation.
“When a Lebanese athlete achieves results or a ranking close to the minimum requirements, the federations are entitled to apply for a wild card from the Central Olympic Committee, which then decides whether to grant them,” he added.
The first to benefit was foil fencer Philippe Wakim, who received the coveted invitation on May 21.
The 23-year-old, competing for Escrime Paris Nord, is bringing Lebanese fencing back to the Olympic stage after missing out on Tokyo 2021, postponed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Wakim finished 7th in the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament at the end of April.
More recently, swimmer Simon Doueihy earned his spot thanks to his impressive time in the 100m freestyle at the summer championships in Spain, where he broke the 50-second barrier with a time of 49.69 seconds. Swimmer Lynn al-Hajj also received her ticket to the Olympics.
For the first time, Lebanese tennis will be represented by Benjamin Hassan, ranked 156th in the world and a member of the Lebanese Davis Cup team. He may even have the opportunity to fulfill one of his dreams: Facing his idol, Rafael Nadal, on the clay courts of Roland-Garros, where the Olympic tournament will be held.
Lastly, the delegation would not be complete without representation in athletics. Aziza Sbaity, recently crowned national champion in the 100m and known as “the fastest woman in Lebanon” due to her national record in the event, is expected to receive her ticket to Paris, according to information from the Lebanese Olympic Committee. Contacted by L’Orient-Le Jour, Sbaity mentioned she had not yet received official confirmation from her federation.
Breaking the dry spell?
Voted one of the 100 most influential and inspirational women in the world this year by the BBC, the 32-year-old sprinter will have to wait a little longer before traveling to France, where she will compete at the start of the athletics events on Aug. 2.
“Each athlete will arrive in Paris three days before the start of their events and will leave two days after they finish,” said Saade.
This rule means that some members of the delegation will not be able to participate in the famous opening ceremony parade on the Seine on July 26.
“Those who compete at the start of the Games will be able to attend the opening ceremony, but not the others,” he added. “We are not in a position to pay for accommodation for everyone during the three weeks of competition.”
By sending a minimum of nine athletes to Paris, Lebanon has already surpassed its 2021 performance in Tokyo, Japan, where six Lebanese athletes competed.
Only Ray Bassil was part of that adventure three years ago, and she will be participating in her fourth consecutive Olympics, following appearances in London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Bassil, who recently won her second career gold medal in the trap category at the World Rifle Shooting Championships in Azerbaijan in early May, represents the Lebanese delegation’s best chance for a medal.
Lebanon is still seeking its first Olympic medal since the Moscow Games in 1980 when Hassan Bechara won bronze in Greco-Roman wrestling.
This article was originally published in L'Orient-Le Jour and translated by Sahar Ghoussoub.
