Lebanese Olympian and trap shooting champion Ray Bassil Tuesday was named Lebanon’s United Nations Development Program goodwill ambassador for youth and gender. “It’s an honor for me to have the opportunity to work with the UNDP. Thank you :),” Bassil tweeted after a ceremony held at the Grand Serail in the presence of Prime Minister Saad Hariri and United Nations officials.
For his part, U.N. Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon Philippe Lazzarini said he was very pleased to introduce Bassil as a goodwill ambassador. In a post to Twitter, he said, “Believe in empowered youth as actors of change!”
While Bassil expressed excitement at the opportunity, she said she was serious about the role and the expectations that come with it. “This means I have more responsibility toward my community and to Lebanon. This pushes me to do more and accomplish more,” Bassil told The Daily Star Tuesday evening, prior to departing for a tournament in Morocco. She will be participating in a Grand Prix International Women’s Competition later this week with the theme of the event empowering women to participate in sports such as shooting.
Speaking of her new position, Bassil said she would be working on different programs dealing with women’s empowerment and youth.
“I will be taking part in events promoting [empowerment] as well as looking to find projects for schools, universities and underprivileged areas,” she said.
Lebanon’s Olympian is also aiming to find funding to support young people to pursue their passions. “Unfortunately, [this is] a country that doesn’t provide much for youth with potential and talent, I want to fundraise for this [pool of young people].”
Bassil will once again represent Lebanon later this month at the shooting world cup finals in New Delhi, India from Oct. 23-29.
“The top 12 elite athletes are the only ones invited and I am going into the tournament ranked third in the world,” she said.
All eyes will be on Bassil as she takes on her role as a goodwill ambassador and makes strides to support Lebanon’s women and youth, a challenge she said she is embracing. “I always said I wanted to give back to the community that gave me so much, and now I will try to do just that,” Bassil said.
