Since its first Olympic participation in 1948, Lebanon has won two silver and two bronze medals. The medal count halted in 1980 and did not continue until the 2008 Beijing Games when handcyclist Edward Maalouf won the nation’s first and only Paralympic medals.
Bringing home two bronze Paralympic medals did not satisfy Maalouf, who is aiming for Lebanon’s first gold medal at Rio 2016 .
One would think that after Maalouf’s victory in Beijing, authorities and sponsors would rush to finance his journey toward a potential gold medal. However, he went to the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and might be heading to the 2016 Rio Olympics on a limited budget.
Maalouf has taken on every challenge with determination and channeled his weaknesses into sources of strength and motivation. He has optimistically battled the pain, fatigue and injuries, devoting all his time and resources toward accomplishing his goal. He has done everything within his ability to make his country proud.
Nonetheless, the Lebanese authorities have given him negligible official support, providing him with no more than a couple of plane tickets and tracksuits. His search for an official sponsor has not been successful, so he has been mainly relying on himself and some contributors.
He mentions on his Zoomaal page, “I started cutting back on everything; I am my own coach, my own driver to save plane tickets, my own dietician to stay in shape and my own mechanic to fix every single thing that occurs to my bike.”
Maalouf’s financial struggle has climaxed due to his need for a new handbike. He believes using his current bike would jeopardize his performance and stop him from reaching his ultimate potential. Therefore, one of Lebanon's most accomplished living athletes, the winner of more than thirty international races, has resorted to requesting financial support through social media.
“As you know I am preparing for the Paralympic Games in Rio and the way is not as easy as it looks like. I missed the qualification when I was in the hospital for very long period, now I am waiting for the wildcard to be able to represent Lebanon during the games. I worked hard with my coach and I came back from long period of sickness and now I am on the right way with my preparation, what is still needed financial support. I need a new handbike urgently and I can’t afford it," Maalouf writes.
"I can say the carbon handbike can help to reach a podium place in Rio as equipment is very important in our sport. Many people tried to help, I knocked on all the doors that I thought may be able to help but still not one positive answer until today, knowing that the games are in three months.”
The Lebanese authorities have also fallen short of moral support. Maalouf told Libnanews that his Beijing success received no official recognition apart from two congratulatory calls from the president of the Lebanese Paralympic Committee, Randa Berri, and the Lebanese ambassador in China.
He told The Daily Star, “Our problem in Lebanon is that we don’t have a vision, we don’t have any plans and everybody looks after their own [interests] rather than the future of the nation and sport.”
Despite it all, the 48-year-old promises that he will never give up. He is motivated by the thought of raising the Lebanese flag at the first-place podium, and insists that this should not be his own individual dream but the entire nation’s. He has refused to accept the Dutch nationality, despite living in the Netherlands, since he does not want to represent any other country at the Games.
“Being Lebanese is the best honor medal that I have ever been awarded and my handicap didn’t highlight my end but gave me a new beginning instead,” he says.
Maalouf was a contractor before a fall from the sixth floor rendered him paralyzed in 1995. Two years later, he began practicing disabled sports, using a wheelchair until he discovered the handbike in 1999. Since then, he has competed in more than 40 races a year and achieved remarkable results in local and international races.
It is a shame to see great talent and potential limited by monetary constraints. Maalouf is still seeking support for his efforts on his Facebook page . Support, as minimal as spreading the word, would be of great impact.