CAIRO — At just 18, Egyptian wrestler Mohamed Shaaban has won a bronze medal at the World Junior Championship, currently taking place in Slovakia.
Shaaban took third place in the 72kg Greco-Roman category after beating Mexico’s Jorge Gomez Garcia 6-0 in the bronze-medal match.
The young wrestler stayed focused and in control throughout the tournament.
Podium finish
Shaaban took control from the start, put Garcia under pressure and secured a clear 6-0 win.
The victory gave Shaaban his first World Junior medal and added another international medal for Egypt.
Key moment
Shaaban’s bronze medal means a lot. The World Junior Championships draw top young wrestlers from all over the world, so taking home a medal isn’t easy.
He wrestled with real power and confidence, and you could see how much promise he has. He’s only 18 – there’s still so much room for him to grow. The experience he’s gaining now sets him up to go even further in the years ahead.
National support
Gohar Nabil, the Minister of Youth and Sports, also praised Shaaban’s medal-winning performance.
He said the medal shows the progress of Egyptian wrestling and the country’s efforts to prepare athletes for top-level competition.
Next challenge
Egypt’s wrestling teams now turn their attention to the 2026 Mediterranean Games in Italy this week.
Egypt will compete in Greco-Roman, freestyle and women’s wrestling, with the aim of snatching more medals.
The Greco-Roman team features Mahmoud Farag, Mohamed Hassan, Mostafa Hussein, Mohamed Al-Qassem and Mohamed Gabr.
The freestyle team includes Shehab El-Din Abdel-Raouf, Omar Amin, Mohamed El-Shamy and Abdelrahman Haitham.
The women’s team includes Malak Ahmed, Mawada Badawy, Sabah Eid and Samar Hamza.
Looking ahead
Shaaban’s bronze provides a positive boost for Egyptian wrestling ahead of the Mediterranean Games.
With athletes competing across three disciplines, Egypt will now look to build on that success and bring home more medals from Italy.
