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At just 20 years old, the foilist-sabreur from Antoura keeps stacking titles, pushing through training sessions, and daring to dream out loud: an Olympic medal, and the Lebanese flag raised to the sound of the national anthem.
There are talents who burst onto the scene blade in hand, mask down, eyes locked on the future. Ghadi el-Chemali is one of them. Born in 2005, this fencing prodigy has carved out a name for himself on the Lebanese scene… and is beginning to make his mark internationally. Six training sessions a week under the guidance of national coach Mahmoud Ali Ahmad, a double U20 national title in 2025 (épée and sabre), and a mindset fine-tuned for ambition — the AUB student (3rd year in Computer and Communications Engineering) runs on hard work and clear goals.
From His First Bout to the World Stage
A member of Al-Bourj Antoura Club (Institut Saint Joseph), el-Chemali first laced up his fencing shoes seven years ago. In 2022, he got his first taste of international competition in Dubai. A year later, he achieved an honorable 54th place in the U20 World Championships in Bahrain — a solid result for a Lebanese athlete. Last summer, he headed to Germany for the University World Championships with the national university team, then to Bali for the Senior Asia Championships, where he faced a tough bout against a Japanese fencer ranked 9th in the world.
The Ranking Doesn’t Lie — Nor Does His Age
In the senior category, he’s currently ranked 311th in the FIE world standings. Nothing alarming for a 20-year-old whose calendar is only getting busier. Next stop: the World Championships in Fujairah (UAE) in early January, where the Lebanese fencer aims to carve out a place in the fast-paced global world of fencing.
High-Intensity Workshop
A packed program: six weekly training sessions focusing on technique, distance management, and explosiveness. From October 26 to November 3, Ghadi will attend a training camp in France, part of a project organized by the French Embassy in collaboration with several federations — a valuable opportunity to spar with top-level opponents and fine-tune his game.
The Context and the Message
“The Federation is doing its part despite limited resources,” he says, aware of the challenges faced by a sport struggling to survive in a suffocating economy. His clear wish: that the state reactivates its support for sports. In the meantime, he keeps pushing forward, thankful to his parents, Elias and Faten, who have supported him every step of the way — and when the piste goes silent, he unwinds with a few notes on the piano.
Goal: The Flag
“To participate in the Olympics and bring back a medal for Lebanon,” he repeats without hesitation. Podium, flag, anthem — the picture is painted; now it’s time to make it real.
One question remains, sparking at the tip of his blade: will Ghadi Elias el-Chemali soon, on a foreign piste, play the opening notes of a global career — first in minor, then in major, then in gold? His hand is steady, his rhythm precise — it’s up to him to turn that music into a standing ovation.
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