Six days in Braga, five medals and a growing feeling that Egyptian shooting is ready for a bigger stage.
At the 2026 World Helice Shooting Championships in Portugal, Egypt arrived with a 43-strong team and left with plenty to celebrate.
There was a historic silver for the women, bronze in the veterans’ event and individual gold, silver and bronze. Several other Egyptian shooters reached the later stages too, coming within touching distance of the podium.
A historic breakthrough
The standout moment came in the women’s team event.
Reem Safar, Fatma Ahmed Hanafi and Amina Labib finished second in the world, securing Egypt’s first-ever World Championship medal in the women’s competition.
It was a landmark result for a side that has been steadily building its presence in the sport.
The medals did not stop with the women’s silver. Egypt’s veterans’ team also finished third in the world to claim the bronze medal.
Harry Vartan, Abdel Aziz El-Soussi and Halim Abouseif put in a strong performance throughout the championship to secure the medal.
Vartan was not finished there. He went on to take silver in the 2026 Beretta Cup after finishing second in the world rankings event.
Egypt also struck gold in the Portugal Cup, where Yassin El-Omda won the veterans’ competition. Amin Mansour added bronze in the Masters category.
The spread of results was significant. Egypt was not relying on one standout performance; shooters were competing for medals across different events and categories.
Closing the gap
There was more to the week than the medals. Ayman Attia and Ezz El-Din Qassem both came close to adding to Egypt’s haul.
Attia shot a perfect 12 out of 12 in qualifying before reaching the final and finishing fifth in the Portugal Cup.
Qassem scored 23 out of 24 to make the final, eventually finishing sixth.
They missed out on the podium, but both were still in contention deep into the competition — a sign that Egypt is getting closer.
The President Cup brought another highlight. Tarek Mohsen, Ismail Abdel Hafiz, Ayman Attia, Ashour Zaalouk and Fatma Hanafi all shot perfect 12-out-of-12 scores.
For Hanafi, it was another memorable moment in a championship that had already seen her help Egypt win its historic women’s silver.
Beyond the shooters
The strong Egyptian presence in Braga was not limited to the shooters. It also extended to the referees, who earned praise from participants for the standard they set throughout the championship.
Attia chaired the international referees’ committee, while Borg Mitchigan, Salah Qassem and Hanna Malak worked as field referees.
The next step
Five medals made Braga a success. More encouraging still was the depth behind them.
Egypt had shooters reaching finals, challenging established names and staying in the fight late into the competition.
For a sport still building its profile, that matters. Braga gave Egypt plenty to celebrate. The next task is to make performances like these part of the norm.
