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Al-Ahram Weekly 11 - 17 May 2000 Issue No. 481 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 11 - 17 May 2000 Issue No. 481
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Obituary
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Books Features Interview Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters A champ falls
Ismail El-Baqri, who helped make the sports section of Al-Ahram one of the liveliest and most popular fixtures, died last week of a heart attack. El-Baqri, 68, collapsed seconds after receiving an award at Zamalek club. The ceremony had been held to honour top sports and media figures in the country according to a poll conducted by the club. El-Baqri had been singled out for the best TV sports programme, Channel Three's highly successful "The Camera on the Field," which he produced. Smiling as he stood on the platform, amidst the applause of the audience, El-Baqri saluted the club's members of the board, then fell to the floor. He was rushed to the Imbaba Heart Institute where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
El-Baqri, left, seconds before he collapsed
Thus ended a 38-year career, one of the longest and most distinguished in local journalism. As former head of the sports department at Al-Ahram, El-Baqri's columns Week to Week" and "Behind the Scenes" were avidly read. He also worked in the Weekly, starting from the year it was founded in 1991, writing its lead football article until 1994.
After retiring, El-Baqri was appointed sports counsellor to Al-Ahram's Editor--in-Chief Ibrahim Nafie in appreciation of his vast experience in sports journalism.
Born in 1932, El-Baqri grew up in Sayeda Zeinab. While a student at Cairo University, he joined the sports section of Al-Ahram as a trainee. Three years later, he was hired as a reporter in the section in which he would spend the rest of his life. In 1983, he took over as head of the section following the death of famed sports writer Naguib El-Mistikawi, running the department until he retired in 1993. In between, he helped establish the Egyptian Sports Journalists Association, where he was consistently elected board member.
El-Baqri is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.
