Lebanon’s Paragliding Community Mourns Young Champion Omar Senger
Tragedy struck Lebanon’s paragliding community on Wednesday when Omar Senger, a talented young athlete from Tripoli, died after a training accident off the coast of Jounieh.
Senger, who had earned international titles in paragliding, was preparing alone for an upcoming world championship in Turkey when his wing became entangled during risky aerial maneuvers. Unable to deploy his parachute, he plunged into the Mediterranean. Rescuers pulled him from the water in critical condition, but he could not be saved.
“My brother was Lebanon’s champion in this sport,” said his sister, Soumaya Senger. “He was unmarried, fully devoted to paragliding, and was set to represent Lebanon in Turkey next week. The news hit us as though we fell with him. We always felt like we were flying alongside him.”
Paragliding in Lebanon, especially in Jounieh where the mountains drop sharply into the sea, had been suspended for about two months following an official ban. However, political pressure led to the sport’s reinstatement, a decision that has sparked controversy online.
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