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Al-Ahram Weekly 6 - 12 May 1999 Issue No. 428 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 6 - 12 May 1999 Issue No. 428
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Features Special Focus Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Sinai day bowling fiesta
By Eman Abdel-MoetiWhen better to launch the first Open Sinai Bowling tournament than on Sinai liberation day? The tournament, held to coincide with the anniversary of Israel's 1982 handover of the Sinai, which it captured from Egypt in the 1967 Middle East war, saw players from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain take top honours. In all, 48 male and female players from 13 Arab countries took part in the 26-29 April tournament: Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Libya, Palestine and host Egypt. Players vied for prize money totalling $16,000.
More than 500 spectators jammed the 24-lane International Bowling Centre in Cairo's Madinet Nasr residential area on the final day. The centre has 350 seats, but the number of spectators who journeyed from other Arab countries swelled the maximum capacity.
The first round had a round robin format. The best eight players then moved on to the second round, then were pared down to three who challenged one another in a shootout down the alley.
The men's event saw a Gulf sweep. Nadi Farhan from the UAE won first place and $5,000. Said El-Hagery from Qatar took second and collected $3,000 while Mahmoud Sherif from Bahrain placed third and went home with $2,000.
In the women's event, Egypt fared better although Nadia Oqail from Bahrain notched first place and $3,000. Egyptians then followed; Hala Sharawi Egypt won $2,000 and Sherine El-Gohary, daughter of Egypt's national football coach Mahmoud El-Gohary, pocketed $1,000.
El-Hagery has visited Egypt several times, training and entering numerous events held round the year. Apparently, it has done him some good. "It is a pleasure to win here in Egypt where I have practised many times before," El-Hagery said. Sherif and Farhan said they were delighted to see so many of their friends from other Arab countries whom they meet repeatedly in Arab competitions in the Gulf.
The Egyptian Bowling Federation can now boast two national tournaments sponsored by Egypt's Armed Forces. Along with the Sinai Open is the 6th of October Open, commemorating Egypt's victory in the 1973 war.
In an effort to organise more international tournaments, Federation Manager Saleh Darwish has sent a bid to the International Bowling Federation to organise an Egypt Open tournament. The Egyptian federation, headed by Hanafi Riad, is hoping to organise the event annually starting from January 2000. However, the International Federation has not yet replied.
On the sidelines of the Sinai Open, an Arab federation, an idea that has been making the rounds of several Arab sports bodies for the past two years, finally came into being with Riad as its president. Founding members attended the official birth on 27 April, as did Hassanein Omran, member of the executive committee of the Arab Federation for Sports, and Abdel-Salam Abbas, vice president of the Asian Bowling Federation.
The new federation got down to business in a hurry, stating that an Arab championship was in the pipeline. The federation's technical committee is still discussing the details, and has yet to decide on who will host the tournament, although expectations are high that either Egypt or a Gulf Cooperation Council state will have the honour.
