The young Franco-Lebanese fencer Gabriel Nehmeh during the French M15 épée championship at the Halle Georges-Carpentier in Paris, on June 14, 2026. (Credit: Photo club ASO Le Chesnay)
BEIRUT — The young Franco-Lebanese fencer Gabriel Nehmeh won the individual under-15 (M15) French épée championship, held June 13 and 14 at Halle Georges-Carpentier in Paris, as part of the “Fête des jeunes.”
Registered in France with ASO Le Chesnay 78, in the Yvelines department, Nehmeh clinched first place in the tournament ahead of no fewer than 114 épée fencers from across France, all qualified after several regional and then national stages.
After four victories in six bouts during the pool phase, the young Franco-Lebanese fencer continued a series of successes in the direct elimination bracket. He notably won two matches with a close 10-9 score, then prevailed 9-6 in the semifinal and captured the final with the same score.
The next day, he also claimed the silver medal in the National 1 team event with the Île-de-France team. This allowed him to finish the season ranked first nationally in the individual M15 épée category.
Born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, in the Yvelines, Nehmeh moved to Lebanon several years ago to care for his sick grandfather, a former athlete and his first supporter in his sporting journey. Since then, he has continued his studies at Collège Saint-Joseph d’Antoura in Kesrouan, following the French baccalaureate curriculum.
Having previously played tennis and swum competitively, he turned to fencing and joined Club La Tour, affiliated with his school, where he is coached by his master-at-arms, Mahmoud Ali Ahmad.
After winning multiple titles in Lebanon and Asia, Nehmeh decided to obtain a French license in order to compete on the national circuit in France. For the past three years, he has represented the club from Le Chesnay in France, while continuing his training in Lebanon. This journey has required him to travel frequently between Paris and Beirut, often traveling alone to compete, and to catch up on missed classes upon returning to Lebanon.
The Fête des jeunes, considered the French under-15 championship, brings together nearly 800 fencers from all French regions and overseas territories in six weapon categories. Individual qualification involves several regional and national stages, before the best fencers are selected for the final event.
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