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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 April 2000 Issue No. 478 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 April 2000 Issue No. 478
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Heritage Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Continental task
Though the Summer Olympics are bearing down fast,as Eman Moemen reports Egypt is currently preparing for one particular championship, in gymnastics, that looks no less daunting.
To limber up, girls stretch to the limit
photo: Youssri Aql
Fifty-three of the country's ambitious teenage girls, all between 11 and 20 years old, are in the running for the Four Continents under-20 championship for rhythmic gymnastics scheduled to be hosted by Egypt in July 2001. While the championship is still months away, that preparations have begun so early is testimony to how competitive it is sure to be.
The girls, from Shooting, Gezira, Zohour, Maadi and Shams clubs took part in a two-day qualifier held at the Olympic Centre in Maadi to decide who will wear Egypt's colours at the championship, which includes gymnasts from Africa, Asia and North and South America. According to Magda Isma'il, head of the Egyptian Gymnastics Federation's technical committee, selection will be based on weight, height and how well the girls perform on basic skills. Isma'il said the hopefuls will go through 24 trials in order to be evaluated. Though the team has yet to be pared down, Isma'il hinted at who might be given the call-up, describing Jasmine Youssef, Sandra George, Sara Ghoneim, Nervana Shafiq and Salma El-Ra'id as the best in Egypt.
Individual athletes and team gymnasts will also be chosen at the trials.
"After the selection, the federation will set a plan in motion to begin preparing the gymnasts," Isma'il said. She added that the over-15 gymnasts might find the going especially difficult because of the educational system in Egypt "which does not allow for more hours for training."
Another problem was where to train. There had been no place for them to practise, but the Olympic Centre, previously off limits, will now be the girls' permanent base.
Youssef, Africa's and Egypt's top rhythmic gymnast, said she hoped to reach the finals and win a medal. An engineering major, Youssef, 19, set new African and Egyptian records at the international rhythmic gymnastics championship in Portugal last month, scoring 9.5 in both the hoops and the ribbon disciplines. Youssef's scores were not only the highest ever recorded by an Egyptian -- beating 9.1 -- but placed Egypt among the 10 best teams in the world. However, Youssef, Egypt's top athlete in 1999, complained of the stress in trying to juggle times for training and studying.
Despite the importance attached to the four-continent tourney, of more immediate urgency is, of course, the Sydney Olympics. The federation is currently holding training sessions and serious competitions as part of the preparations. The men went to Hungary for training before participating in an international championship held from 29 March to 4 April. The delegation then headed for Romania for another meet currently taking place. The Brazilian world championship follows.
One more trial test period was for the junior artistic gymnastic men's team which took place at Cairo Sporting Club. Qualifiers will represent Egypt in the African junior gymnastics championship to be held in Tunisia in November.
Altogether, 22 gymnasts from Cairo, Gezira, Suez Canal, Shooting, Shams, Sporting and Nasr City took part in the one-day trials. The top eight selected will be cut to six who will then undergo special training under the supervision of the federation and foreign coaches. Samir El-Bebawi, the federation's managing director, said the qualifications showed an improvement in the technical level of the athletes.
