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Biography
Nacif Elias (born September 29, 1988) is a Brazilian-born Lebanese judoka. He competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the 81 kg event, in which he was eliminated in the second round, in his first match, by Emmanuel Lucenti. He was the flagbearer for Lebanon during the opening ceremonies of the at the 2014 Asian Games and 2016 Olympics.
Elias was born in Brazil, but his great-grandfather was Lebanese. In 2013 he changed nationality to represent Lebanon, while staying in Brazil. In order to compete for Lebanon, Elias had been invited to become a Lebanese citizen. “It was a tough call,” he said, but the offer he received from the Lebanese Judo Federation made it hard to refuse.“Lebanon offered to pay me to enter eight competitions per year, whereas the Brazilian national team would pay for three or four at most,” he said.
He is married and has one son.
