- Title: Teenager takes top prize in Lebanese arm wrestling competition
- Date: 6th August 2019
- Summary: VARIOUS OF SUPERMATCH BETWEEN LEBANESE ARM WRESTLING CHAMPION OF 2018, MAROUN GHANEM AND TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPION, MIKHAIL RUDAKOV VARIOUS OF AUDIENCE CHEERING DURING SUPERMATCH GHANEM WINNING LAST ROUND OF SUPERMATCH VARIOUS OF CELEBRATION AFTER SUPERMATCH WINNER OF LEBANESE ARM WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP 2019, CATEGORY MEN -90KGS, FARES MOUKHEIBER, HOLDING TROPHY WINNER OF LE
- Embargoed: 20th August 2019 11:14
- Keywords: Arm wrestling championship Lebanon winnerm sport
- Location: ZAHLE, LEBANON
- City: ZAHLE, LEBANON
- Country: Lebanon
- Topics: Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA003AR2YVYX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Fifteen-year-old George Bejjani became the youngest contestant to ever win the title in Lebanon's arm-wrestling championship in the +90kgs category for men on Saturday (August 3).
In a large arena set up for the competition a crowd gathered to watch enthusiastically cheering on Bejjani as he raised his arm triumphantly after his winning match.
The games took place in the Lebanese city of Zahle where men and women strained to find the strength to overcome their opponents for the win.
The event crowned winners in different categories including men over 90kgs, men under 90kgs and the women's champion.
The championship also brought Lebanon's 2018 champions head-to-head with Ukrainian champions in two supermatches, one featuring male and one featuring female contestants.
Ukrainian champion Marina Shulika defeated her Lebanese counterpart Serena Abou Saleh in the women's supermatch, while Lebanon's 2018 champion Maroun Ghanem defeated two-time world champion Mikhail Rudakov.
Five women finalists competed for the 2019 title, with 16-year old Jessica Bejjani crowned champion. She encouraged women to try out the sport, rather than shy away from it.
"This game is not scary, on the contrary it is really beautiful, I want to encourage women who feel that they could do it, to try it," she said.
Arm-wrestling in Lebanon had been just a pastime for many years but after establishing a federation and introducing nation-wide competitions, it became a professional sport in the country.
The sport, according to President of the Lebanese Arm Wrestling Federation Karim El Andary, is very promising in Lebanon.
He added that the country has proven to perform well in world-wide events, with some Lebanese athletes competing and even winning titles in Istanbul earlier this year.
In 2017, Lebanon held its first Arm Wrestling Championship in Beirut organised by the Lebanese Arm Wrestling Federation, which was newly formed at the time.
(Production: Imad Creidi) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None