- 09:15
In Saudi Arabia, the Lebanese campaign at the Islamic Solidarity Games closed this weekend with a total of four medals: three bronzes for swimmer Lynn El-Hajj (50 m, 100 m and 200 m breaststroke) and one bronze for Dsovak Keuchkarian in muay thai (–50 kg). With the other Lebanese disciplines now out of contention, the contingent returns with the essentials: a medals table entry, reference points, and a positive signal sent to the regional scene, while the competition continues in Riyadh.
Born in the mid-2000s to bring together the National Olympic Committees of the Islamic world, the event has grown over the editions. This sixth stop in Riyadh confirms the step up in scale: a well-oiled organization, a dense program, increased visibility for water and combat sports. For the Lebanese delegation, the challenge was twofold: to measure up against strong opposition and to set performance standards ahead of the continental appointments to come.
El-Hajj, three podiums that carry weight
In the water, Lynn El-Hajj kept the thread of the finals and pushed the counter up. Bronze in the 100 m breaststroke, she followed up in the 200 m, then validated the treble in the 50 m, always within reach of the top two. Beyond the medals, regularity is the real victory: clean races, controlled pace management, and the capacity to repeat the effort day after day. As a result, Lebanon settled early on the medals table and held its rank until the end of its participation.
Keuchkarian, bronze at the end of the ring
On Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard, Dsovak Keuchkarian completed the haul with bronze in –50 kg muay thai. After a path marked by rounds cleared and a semifinal contested against the world No. 1, the Iranian Fereshteh Hassanzadeh Mirsadeghi, the Lebanese athlete claimed a podium of character. A strong signal for the combat branch, confirming its ability to exist in a tough draw and to convert its opportunities when the window opens.
Heading for what’s next, without easing off
The delegation thus ends its ISG with four medals and clear lessons: Lebanese breaststroke asserting itself, competitive muay thai, and a working framework to consolidate in order to turn the try on the Asian stage. Now comes the debrief, the planning of qualifying standards, and the training-load cycles that should make it possible to come back, very soon, with ambitions revised upward.
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