 |
Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 21 - 27 September 2000 Issue No. 500 
|
||
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
|
||
|
Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 21 - 27 September 2000 Issue No. 500
|
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
|
||
The invisible people
Hussein Zaki of Egypt making his mark against Yugoslavia
photo: AFP
Egypt Elections Development Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Special Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters THE EGYPTIAN flag has yet to be raised, its national anthem yet to be played. No Egyptian has yet visited the dais, has yet to have a medal of any colour placed around his or her neck. In short, the Egyptians are nowhere to be seen in Sydney.
In table tennis, archery, shooting, rowing, gymnastics and fencing, it's curtains already. The slimmest of hopes remain in judo, boxing, weightlifting, swimming, rhythmic gymnastics, track and field, tae kwon do and boxing.
Gymnast Raouf Abdel-Kerim, gold medal winner in the 1998 Mediterranean Games, failed to come close to emulating the feat, finishing in 10th place in qualifications which take the first eight. Hebatallah Mahmoud placed 16th out of 49 shooters in the 10m air pistol. Her consolation was amassing 379 points, a new Arab and African record. Rania Elwani, unbeatable in the pool when the competition is Arab, was jettisoned out of the 200 metre freestyle without hardly a ripple. Having floundered in Barcelona and Atlanta, Elwani can be given only the barest of chances in her two remaining events in these Games.
In team sports, the nature of which allows a country to continue playing even after losing, Egypt still figures. But in both men's handball and volleyball the start has been anything but promising. Spain, not noted for the sport, won in three straight sets, 25-20, 25-10, 25-21.
The handballers lost a 22-21 heartbreaker against former world champions Russia, then went down 25-22 against Yugoslavia. Against Russia, the game was lost following an 11-minute goal drought by Egypt at a time when Russia scored seven consecutive times. But the 15-7 half-time edge quickly eroded thanks to five straight goals by Egypt. Only a stout Russian defence prevented at least a draw by the end. Goalkeepers Andrei Lavrov and Sherifeddin Mohamed were resilient throughout, Lavrov stopping almost everything that came his way in the first half, Mohamed doing likewise in the second.
Egypt got off well enough against Yugoslavia, scoring two unanswered goals. Gohar Nabil was a terror on defence but goalkeeper Dejan Peric saved a higher than average -- 48.5 per cent -- shots on goal, giving Yugoslavia the edge.
Against Cuba, Germany and Korea the Egyptians should do better and perhaps go farther than any of their compatriots so far.
