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by Salah Takieddine
BEIRUT, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- On the eve of the opening ceremony of Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic games, Lebanon is building hopes on its participating athletes to return home decorated with medals that have been absent since 1980.
The last medal Lebanon obtained was when Lebanese wrestler Hassan Bechara won the bronze medal in men's Greco-Roman Super-Heavyweight category in Moscow Olympics in 1980.
"Lebanon's athletes participating in 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro represent great hope for the Lebanese people to bring the country's name again to the list of Olympic medals after an absence lasted for 36 years," sports commentator Hasan Sharara told Xinhua.
He said "we hope to be lucky and well-prepared after the past 36 years and to gain the fifth medal after we gained four previous medals, two bronze medals and two silver medals, by four champions."
The first medals Lebanon gained were in Helsinki Summer Olympics in 1952 when Zakaria Chehab won the silver medal in men's Greco-Roman Bantamweight category and Khalil Taha won the bronze medal in the Welterweight category of the same game.
The third medal was silver when Mohamed Traboulsi won it in weightlifting in men's Middleweight category at Munich Summer Olympics in 1972.
Sharara explained that Ray Bassil participating in the women's trap shooting category and Nassif Elias in the Judo competition are two experienced champions.
Sharara said that "Ray has Asian, Arab and world records and she is currently classified among the top five champions in the world, thus, there is a possibility that she would win a medal. As for Nassif, the matter is serious and he can win a medal also."
Bassil will participate in the Olympics after being granted a wildcard because of her advanced results in different championships and has attended a preparatory camp in Turkey before she traveled to Rio de Janeiro.
Nassif for his part won a silver medal in the Asian Championship in Uzbekistan last April and was in the first place in Judo championships in Argentina, Peru and Uruguay.
Emile Rustom Coach of as-Safa, Lebanon's football league champions, said that he hopes those who represent Lebanon in the Olympics become lucky and make the Lebanese people happy like his team won the league competition this year.
"As we won the league competition this year and made our fans happy, I hope those who represent us in the Olympics become lucky and make the Lebanese people happy," Rustom told Xinhua.
President of the Lebanese Olympic Committee Jean Hammam mentioned earlier that a mission of the best athletes has been formed to participate in Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Hammam stressed that "there is great hope to win medals especially in the sports of trap shooting and Judo," adding that a budget of 400,000 U.S. dollars have been secured for the mission.
In addition to Bassil and Elias, the Lebanese athletes participating in the Olympics include Mariana Sahakyan in table tennis, canoeist Richard Merjan, Gabriella Doueihy and Anthony Barbar in swimming, Mona Shaito in fencing, runner Chirine Njeim and Ahmad Hazer in 110 meters hurdles.
