By OCA Young Reporter Zaynab Kawtharani
Nagoya, Japan, September 21, 2026: Lebanon’s 15-year-old table tennis player Bisan Chiri displayed determination beyond her years despite suffering a narrow defeat against Thailand at the Asian Games on Monday.
Chiri and her teammates pushed their more experienced opponents throughout a closely contested match, refusing to surrender even when the result began to move against them.
“Today’s game wasn’t perfect, but we tried our best,” Chiri said. “The most important thing is that we gave everything we had. Even though we lost today, we won’t let that affect our next game.”
The young Lebanese player identified the difference in international experience and preparation as the team’s greatest challenge. She explained that limited opportunities at home had made it difficult for Lebanon’s players to develop at the same pace as some of Asia’s leading teams.
“Our opponents had more experience than us, and we weren’t prepared enough because we haven’t had the same opportunities as other countries to improve our skills and reach their level,” she said.
Nevertheless, Chiri remained composed under pressure by trusting her training and concentrating on one point at a time.
“We focused on every ball because stress can affect your performance,” she explained. “The worst thing a player can do before a match is become stressed and overthink.”
For Chiri, representing Lebanon carries a meaning much greater than simply wearing the national colours.
“It isn’t just about holding the flag or wearing the national team jersey,” she said. “It is about showing that, despite everything our country has experienced and everything that has affected us, we can still prove ourselves. Even without the same opportunities, we can compete and try to give Lebanon a victory.”
Competing against some of Asia’s strongest teams has also given the 15-year-old valuable lessons about remaining calm, controlling matches and continuing to fight regardless of the score.
“Sport isn’t only about winning or losing. It is about trying our best and proving ourselves,” she said. “We learned never to give up, because winners are just losers who tried one more time.”
Chiri is now determined to turn the disappointment of the close defeat into motivation for Lebanon’s remaining matches.
“Our goal is to learn from this loss and bounce back,” she said. “We want to use what we learned, stay focused and play much harder in our next matches. We will obviously do our best to win and dedicate that victory to our country.”
She dedicated her performance to the people who supported her journey—from her family and coaches to the country she proudly represents.
“This performance is for our parents, who did everything they could to give us what we needed to become players and participate in competitions; for our coaches, who trained us, developed our skills and always encouraged us; and for Lebanon, which deserves much more than just one performance.”