Personal Information
Family Two children
Residence Champigny-sur-Marne, FRA
Languages Arabic, French
License number 08081980000
Club
Sport Specific Information
When and where did you begin this sport? He began fencing in 1986 at the Cercle d'Escrime de Rueil Malmaison in France.
Handedness Right
General Interest
Injuries In 2010 he had a groin injury and a herniated disc. (NOC, 21 Jul 2012)
He has had three ankle operations during his career. (rueil-tv.com, 14 Sep 2010)
Famous relatives His grandfather Abdelhamid Bensegueni was a professional Algerian footballer who represented clubs in Algeria and France. (lequipe.fr, 01 Mar 2016)
Ambitions To compete at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (casbah-tribune.com, 04 Feb 2018)
Other information FROM FRANCE TO ALGERIA
He represented France at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. In January 2013 he was suspended from the French national training institute [INSEP] in Paris after openly criticising the national coaching staff in the French press. The suspension meant he had to train with his club in Rueil instead, although it did not extend to a competitive ban. He says the conflict almost caused him to quit fencing entirely, and led to him pursuing a switch to represent Algeria, where his grandfather was born. The International Fencing Federation [FIE] approved the switch in March 2016. "I stand by what I said. As a physiotherapist I like to do my physical training on my own terms, and I often came into conflict with the national coaching staff because of this." (lequipe.fr, 14 Apr 2016; huffpostmaghreb.com, 02 Mar 2016; elwatan.com, 03 Nov 2013; leparisien.fr, 31 Jan 2013; Facebook profile, 15 Apr 2016)
BUSINESS
He has run his own physiotherapy clinic in the western suburbs of Paris, France. (lequipe.fr, 14 Apr 2016)
