Compiled by Tamer Mohamed
During President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s era, Egypt has seen an unprecedented boom in sports. Athletes have provided a much-needed escapism in another year of Covid-19. Before we turn the calendar to 2022, let’s have a look at a few of the old year’s triumphs.
Al-Ahly clinches 8th Super Cup
Defending champions and CAF Champions League winners Al-Ahly won the CAF Super Cup after defeating Raja Casablanca of Morocco 6-5 on penalties at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in the Qatari capital, Doha in December.
The success confirmed the Egyptian giants as the dominant force in Africa with 23 titles – ten in the CAF Champions League, eight in the Super Cup, four in the Cup Winners Cup and one in the Confederation Cup.
“My team showed wonderful spirit – they never accepted that defeat was inevitable,” said South Africa-born Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane.
Mosimane, who joined Ahly in 2019 from Pretoria club Mamelodi Sundowns, won six CAF club titles, two less than record-holder Manuel Jose, the Portuguese who had two spells in charge of Ahly.
Six medals for Tokyo 2020
Egypt won six medals in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on July 23-August 8.
Athletes won (1 gold, 1 silver, 4 bronze), surpassing their achievements in Rio de Janeiro 2016 (3 medals) and London 2012 (4 medals).
Feryal Ashraf Abdel Aziz won the gold medal for the +61 kg kumite karate competition after winning the final against Azerbaijani Arena. Zaretska 2-0.
Ahmed El-Gendy took a silver medal, becoming the first Arab and African to win an Olympic medal in the modern pentathlon, for which Ahmed el-Gendy also won a silver medal.
Feryal Abdelaziz earned gold for women’s kumite karate (+61 kg) and for Giana Farouk (61kg), bronze.
Both Hedaya Malak and Seif Eissa came away with bronze for taekwondo women’s (67kg) and men’s (80 kg).
For Graeco-Roman wrestling (men’s 67kg), a bronze went to Mohamed el-Sayed ‘Kesho’.
Karatekas grab 8 medals in World Championships
Egypt’s karate team came second in the overall ranking of the World Karate Championships in Dubai in November.
The Pharaohs won 3 gold medals, 2 silvers and 3 bronzes.
The Egyptian women’s kumite team also came away with gold, thanks to the participation of the ‘trio’ — Feryal Ashraf, Menna Shaaban and Suhaila Abu Ismail — who beat France 2-1 in the final.
Feryal is the first Egyptian, African and Arab female Karateka to win two gold medals in one year at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the World Championships.
Big Ramy Mr Olympia 2021
Egyptian bodybuilder Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ el-Sebayie won Mr. Olympia 2021 title in October to become the first Egyptian and African athlete to win the title twice in a row.
Ramy, 37, was not in peak form during the pre-judging round, he quickly made up for it during the individual posing routine and final showdown.
Gold, bronze for World Pentathlon Championships
Egypt’s Ahmed el-Gendy won gold for the singles competition of the UIPM 2021 Junior World Modern Pentathlon Championships in Alexandria on July 12-18.
El-Gendy topped his Russian and Hungarian rivals, who came second and third respectively.
Egypt’s national team took bronze, while Hungary and Russia won the gold and silver medals for the team competition.
Samar Hamza claims Egypt’s first-ever World Championship medal
After 15 years of absence, Egypt won a medal in the World Wrestling Championship. Samar Hamza is the first Egyptian wrestler to win a medal in the championship since 2006.
Hamza won the bronze medal of the 2021 World Wrestling Championship in the women’s 76kg category, which took place in Norway.
The 26-year-old carved her name in the Egyptian Wrestling history.
The last World champion was Mohamed Ibrahim Abdelfattah who won the gold medal in the 84kg category in the Greco-Roman in 2006.
Salah voted ‘Footballer of the Year’
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has won the Fans’ Footballer of the Year award for 2021, retaining the title from last year.
Salah came out on top with 24 goals in 40 English Premier League appearances.
The 29-year-old won 61 per cent of the vote for the national award to finish comfortably ahead of number two Declan Rice of West Ham.
Over 140,000 voters picked the winner from the nine-man shortlist of players.
Egypt snatches 6 gold, 5 silver at UFAK Karate Championship
Egypt’s National Karate Team bagged gold and silver medals for the 2021 UFAK Karate Championship at Cairo International Stadium on December 3-5.
In the third day of the African competition, Egyptian karate players took six gold medals and five silver.
President of the Egyptian Karate Federation Mohamed el-Dahrawy said that he was pleased with the victories won by Egyptians in various categories at the African Karate Championships hosted by Cairo.
