Lebanon entered the list of medals at the 19th Asian Games in 2023, held in the city of Hangzhou, China, on Tuesday, when the Judo champion, Sagaipov Caramnob, won the bronze medal, ascended to the podium, and raised the Lebanese flag. This spread an atmosphere of joy and pride among the members of the Lebanese delegation and boosted the morale of athletes in the remaining competitions.
In his first statement following this achievement, Dr. Pierre Jalakh, the President of the Lebanese Olympic Committee, who arrived in Hangzhou last Monday evening, said that this medal is dedicated to the Lebanese people longing for victories in difficult times. He also dedicated it to the sports family, which faces great challenges but still shows determination to achieve, thus proving the correctness of the Olympic Committee’s decision to participate in the Games based on firm convictions and the necessity of national representation, as well as the acquisition of technical expertise by athletes. He also praised the efforts of the head of the delegation and his attention to every detail.
The Secretary-General of the Committee, Mr. Joudat Shaker, congratulated the delegation from Beirut and praised the dedication of the athletes, who filled us with feelings of pride and loyalty to the national jersey in international competitions, emphasizing that the decision to participate stems from national responsibility and confidence in our competitive capabilities.
On his part, the head of the delegation and member of the Olympic Committee, Mr. Francois Saadeh, expressed his great happiness and pride in this achievement in a continental event that brings together champions and record holders, thanking the President and members of the Olympic Committee for their trust and support. He also highlighted the follow-up provided to the Judo team by the coach, Francois Saadeh Jr.
Here are the results for Tuesday, September 26th:
- Judo: The player Sagaipov Caramnob won his first match against the Thai player Wei Bo Yang but lost to the Kyrgyz player Erlan Sherov. He then won against Tajik player Komronsho Ustopiriyon, securing third place and earning the bronze medal. However, the player, Naseef Elias, was not successful and lost his match against Emirati player Dzhar Kostyiev, thus exiting the competition.
- Taekwondo: The player Laetitia Aoun, who won the bronze medal in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia and was ranked third in Asia, did not meet expectations of winning a medal in the Hangzhou Asian Games. She exited the competition after losing to Thai player Panaba Harnsugjin 1-2, despite her initial victory against Nepalese player Kumari Sandya Singh 2-0.
- Swimming: Swimmer Mondher Kbara competed in the 400-meter individual medley, finishing 6th among the top 8 participants with a time of 82:28:4. He still has the 200-meter breaststroke competition scheduled for next Thursday.
- Shooting: Shooter Samer Sarkis participated in the “skeet” competition, collecting 67 targets out of 125, with consecutive shots of 21, 24, and 22.
The delegation continues its competitions on Wednesday, September 27th, featuring the participation of players Malak Khoury and Mariana Sahakian in the table tennis competition in both singles and doubles categories.
