- 01
- Aug.
- 2025
The news struck like a gunshot. Ray Bassil, Lebanese shooting icon and four-time Olympian, has decided to swap the Lebanese flag for Qatar’s. A sporting bombshell that speaks volumes about the abandonment Lebanon’s champions face.
On Friday, the news broke, confirmed by several sources close to the Lebanese Olympic Committee (LOC), who preferred to remain anonymous. “It’s a purely personal choice, everything was done by mutual agreement, without conflict,” said an LOC official. Behind the scenes, the process moved at breakneck speed: Ray Bassil submitted an official request to the Lebanese Shooting Federation, received approval from the LOC, and finally, the switch was validated by the International Federation.
“We gave our approval because she wants to grow in better conditions. We couldn’t stop her,” confessed another LOC member, bitterly, before adding under his breath, “But it’s a failure on our part.”
An Extraordinary Track Record
Ray Bassil, 36, is no ordinary athlete. Since her beginnings in Olympic trap shooting alongside her father, she has climbed podium after podium: multiple Asian titles, world championship medals, four Olympic appearances (London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024). Just this past May, she won gold in Baku at the ISSF championships, confirming her status as a global reference.
She embodied more than just a champion: she was a banner for a nation in crisis, a breath of hope for a people hungry for victory. Today, she folds away the flag she once carried high, to embrace another.
Qatar: A New Horizon Aimed at Los Angeles 2028
This shocking decision highlights the failures of Lebanon’s sports system. Lacking proper infrastructure, serious financial support and long-term planning, Lebanon couldn’t keep its most decorated champion. At 36, Ray Bassil no longer wanted to fight against the deficiencies of a non-existent state.
A source close to the matter summed it up, “She never asked for the moon. She just wanted decent training conditions, real support to prepare for major competitions. She never got them.” Doha, on the other hand, is offering her a clear project, modern resources and optimal preparation for Los Angeles 2028.
Pierre Jalkh, president of the LOC and the Lebanese Shooting Federation, confirmed that everything is in order, “Everything has been validated with the relevant bodies, including the IOC. There are no disputes.” A tribute ceremony is scheduled for August 5 in Beirut, but it will carry the bitter taste of a departure no one could prevent.
A Defeat Beyond the Shooting Range
Lebanon’s last Olympic medal dates back to 1980. Ray Bassil had the potential to end that long drought. She still might… but under a different flag. Ray Bassil now shoots under a different flag, and all of Lebanese sports suffer the blow.
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