Al-Mon La Salle Club announced the appointment of national coach Grandmaster Eli Elia (coach of the Lebanese national team) as the administrative director of the club’s taekwondo team, Al-Mon La Salle - Champions Elite, to oversee the black belt male and female athletes. The official announcement was made during a ceremony held at the club's sports palace, attended by the president of the Fencing Federation and the host club president Jihad Salama, president of the Taekwondo Federation Dr. Habib Zraifa, director of the sports center at Al-Mon La Salle George Ghneima, coach Grandmaster Eli Elia, and Secretary-General of "Combat Arena" Club Michel Shbeir, along with several heads and members of committees in the federation, coaches, and athletes. The ceremony was also followed via Zoom by Secretary-General of the federation Master Mark Harb, director of national teams Grandmaster Ralph Harb, and head of the referees and education committee Master Daniel Khourasanjian.
The event began with the national anthem, followed by the master of ceremonies Valeria Galikian, who introduced the speech of Federation President Dr. Habib Zraifa, who spoke about the development of the sport of taekwondo in Lebanon, despite the difficult economic conditions the country has faced for the past four years. He emphasized that the Taekwondo Federation is striving to propose new ideas to achieve its goals, primarily qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the 2032 Olympics. Zraifa expressed pride in starting his journey in the sport of taekwondo and growing up in Al-Mon La Salle Club, which was among the first to contribute to the development of Lebanese sports. He noted that the appointment of Grandmaster Eli Elia as administrative director is part of the development and continuity of success in taekwondo at Al-Mon La Salle, praising Elia's competence, who has coached the Lebanese national team for seven years.
For his part, Salama reminisced about the founding of this sports edifice and Al-Mon La Salle Club by the late Antoine Chartier several decades ago, acknowledging that the club’s members continue his legacy. He thanked Al-Mon La Salle School and the director of the sports center George Ghneima. He highlighted the significant and active role of Federation President Dr. Habib Zraifa, "a club member," in the development of taekwondo, which is one of the most important sports practiced at the club and has achieved remarkable results locally and internationally.
Coach Eli Elia expressed his joy at being appointed as the administrative director for the black belt taekwondo athletes at Al-Mon La Salle - Champions Elite Club, promising to work with the club’s management to maintain the successful path and growth of the sport of taekwondo.
