CAIRO – Minister of Youth and Sports Ashraf Sobhi extended his sincere gratitude and appreciation to President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, describing him as the true patron of Egyptian sports and the foremost supporter of Paralympic athletes.
The minister praised President Sisi’s continued care and support for Egypt’s heroes with disabilities.
During the opening ceremony of the 2025 World Para Powerlifting Championships, held Thursday evening in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital, Sobhi also congratulated the President on the national football team’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
He stressed that this achievement reflects the tremendous support Egypt’s sports system receives under the President’s leadership.
The championship, running from October 9 to 18, brings together athletes from 72 countries across all continents and is regarded as one of the most significant events on the Paralympic calendar.
In his remarks, the minister welcomed all participating delegations and commended the outstanding organizational efforts and the impressive opening ceremony.
He further noted that Egypt has become a global model for hosting major international sporting events, thanks to its modern sports infrastructure and highly capable human resources.
The competition will feature intense rivalries in the days ahead, starting with the youth and junior categories on the first two days, followed by senior competitions from October 11 to 17, and concluding on October 18 with team events for men, women, and mixed teams, followed by the closing and awards ceremony.
Egypt is fielding its largest-ever delegation in the history of the Para Powerlifting World Championships, with 54 athletes participating, 21 in the youth category and 33 in the senior events.
Sobhi attended the opening ceremony upon returning directly from Morocco, where he had traveled to support the Egyptian national football team in their match against Djibouti, which ended in a 3-0 victory for the Pharaohs and secured their qualification for the World Cup.
