The Lebanese delegation participated in the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games, hosted by the city of Hangzhou, China, where the Lebanese flag waved among the flags of 45 countries from the Asian continent during the general parade of participating delegations in this continental event, which is second only in importance to the Olympic Games. The ceremony took place at the Olympic Stadium, "Big Lotus," and was attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the acting chairman of the Asian Olympic Council, Indian Randhir Singh, political and Olympic leaders, and a large crowd of spectators, with the events broadcast live to millions around the world via Chinese, international, and Arab satellite channels.
The Lebanese delegation was led in the general parade by the head of the delegation, a member of the executive committee of the Olympic Committee, treasurer and lawyer François Saadeh. The Lebanese flag was carried by taekwondo player Letizia Aoun and swimmer Munther Kabara, receiving applause as they passed in front of the official platform. Head of the delegation, lawyer Saadeh, praised the beauty and excellence of the ceremony’s organization, which is considered one of the most prominent opening celebrations for continental, international, and Olympic events, highlighting Lebanese participation in the games through a delegation that aims to affirm Lebanon's presence, despite all challenges, and hopes for ambitious and honorable results.
The first technical results of the Lebanese delegation on the first day of competitions came from judoka Joe Haddad (66 kg) who fought in his first match against Kinley Cherink from Bhutan and won, but later lost his match against Kazakhstan's 20th-ranked player, Gusman Kirgi Zbayev, thus exiting the competitions. Judoka coach François Junior Saadeh stated that the matches for his team's players would not be easy as they face world champions, but achieving a medal is not impossible, especially for Elias Nassif and Sagai Bouf Kramnop, whose level is comparable to many Asian and world champions. This is also true for player Akualina Al Shayeb compared to the South Korean world champion, emphasizing that the draw of matches would also influence the outcomes.
In swimming, swimmer Munther Kabara participated in the 200-meter individual medley, recording a time of 2:04.63, compared to his previous time of 2:02.99. He placed 11th among 30 swimmers and expressed hope for a better result in the upcoming 400-meter individual medley and 200-meter breaststroke events on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, proudly representing his country and carrying the Lebanese flag at the opening.
Additionally, fencer Philip Wakim competed in fencing, facing three preliminary matches against players from Iraq, India, and South Korea, and then advanced to the knockout rounds, where he faced Thai player Diginak and won 15-12 before losing to Ryan Choi from Hong Kong 8-15, leading to his exit from the competitions.
On Monday’s competition schedule, Lebanon will participate in judo with player Ghadi Moussa (73 kg), in the Kurash competition for the 81 kg category with player Akualina Al Shayeb (63 kg), and in taekwondo with player Raphael Kadssi (58 kg).
