ESports Federation Chief optimistic about future of games
Electronic sports are more than just online gaming competitions. They are becoming a major activityin our modern world of technology.
Using the internet is also becoming less about passing time and more about a productive activity that helps a country grow.
By turning gaming into a professional sport, Egypt is now gaining respect on the world stage and proving its talent in global competitions.
One of the biggest successes recently came from the eFootball Mobile team. Last month, Egypt achieved first place in Africa and third place in the entire world in FIFA eWorld Rankings in the mobile category.
This success was led by Omar El-Shahat, also known as “Vantom,” a talented player who hails from Dahab in South Sinai.
Under the supervision of the Egyptian EsportsFederation and the Egyptian Football Association, Vantom won eight matches, making him the top-performing Arab and African player of the year.
The journey to the bronze medal was exciting. Egypt defeated the former world champions twice in the group stage and beat Türkiye 4-1.
In the semi-finals, they faced Brazil, the current world champions. The two teams were tied 4-4 after two matches, but Brazil eventually won by a golden goal in the final seconds.
Even with that loss, Egypt’s performance proved that local players are among the best in the world.
President of the Egyptian eSports Federation,Sherif Abdel-Baqi, said he and his colleagues work hard to support all players.
The federation, he said, is in the process of creating the first national database to collect information on every gamer in the country.
“Whether a player lives in Cairo or in any other governorates, he/she can join the federation easily,” Abdel-Baqi told The Egyptian Gazette in an interview.
He revealed that the federation has made it possiblefor players to register and pay fees online.
This, he said, makes the registration process simple for everyone.
The Egyptian eSports Federation also works with local sports clubs and youth centres to promote electronic sports.
Last December, the federation held the first official eFootball Clubs Championship, opening the door for around 20 major sports clubs to compete and promote the game.
This event, Abdel-Baqi said, was a big step on the road to demonstrating government support for modern sports.
“This club tournament will now take place every year,” Abdel-Baqi revealed.
He added that the competition would be held annually to give more young people a chance to represent their favourite teams.
Meanwhile, Egypt appears to harbour grand and ambitious plans for 2026.
In July, the national team will travel to Saudi Arabia for the Esports World Cup to compete in 16 different games. The championship will run from July 6 to August 23.
Prizes, worth a whopping $76 million, are up for grabs. The tournament will also give players the chance to get sponsorships from major international companies.
Abdel-Baqi described these opportunities as “important” for Egypt’s young population.
“They provide a safe and professional way to use the internet,” he said.
In his interview with this newspaper, Abdel-Baqibroke the news that esports would be officially included in the African Games which will be hosted by Egypt in 2027, for the first time in African sports history.
Just like in traditional sports, players will compete for gold, silver, and bronze medals, Abdel-Baqisaid.
Minister of Youth and Sports, Gohar Nabil, signed the agreement for hosting the 14th African Games with an official from the African Union last week.
This is Africa’s biggest sports competition and the new edition will mark its return to Egypt, for the first time since 1991.
This agreement also marks the official start of Egypt’s preparations to welcome athletes from across the continent.
Winning the bid to host the games, Minister Nabilsaid at the signing ceremony, reflects African confidence in Egypt’s sports infrastructure.
“This success was made possible by the strong support the political leadership offers the sports sector,” the minister said.
“It was also made possible by the hard work put inimproving local sports and youth programmes,” he added.
Abdel-Baqi expressed confidence in the future of electronic sports in Egypt.
With Egypt already ranking 6th in the world for PUBG and 3rd for Mobile Legends, he said, the future of Egyptian esports looks very bright.
