11 - 17 January 2001
Issue No.516
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 11 - 17 January 2001 Issue No.516 |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
Half-time
Count your blessings
Mounir Sabet should consider himself among the lucky people. Last week, he was re-elected unanimously to another term as head of the Egyptian National Olympic Committee -- even though he was at the helm during two Summer Games in which Egyptian athletes came away empty-handed. And, fortunately for him again, Sabet's honeymoon with the press and public will extend for a much longer period than what other elected officials normally enjoy. His grace period is a whopping three years, up to the 2004 Athens Olympics. Only then will he be taken to task, or hailed as a master sports official, depending on how many times, if any, Egyptians will visit the champions' podium.
If Egypt's Olympic performance continues its slow and steady decline, the knives will be out in Greece. The last time an Egyptian won anything in the Olympics was 1984, in Los Angles, when Mohamed Rashwan took a silver in judo. Before that, you would have to go back to 1948 in London -- when five medals were hauled in -- to find Olympic glory. Thus, our history in the Summer Games features only six medals in 53 years and 12 Olympics (two were boycotted). But do we bother? And are we really going to the trouble of improving ourselves?
Too many times, sports bigwigs either fail to grasp just how huge their responsibility is or, if they do, abuse their positions to no end. Prestige is everything, it seems to some, as is a window to media exposure and travelling around the world. All but forgotten is why they were elected in the first place.
Sabet cites what he thinks is wrong: the NOC works on a shoestring budget that, in his words, "does not allow a single Egyptian coach to win a medal of any colour in the Olympics." While financial constraints always make for powerful arguments they can become monotonous and, in the end, a convenient scapegoat to be used whenever things get hot under the collar. The truth is there are other avenues the NOC should pursue, like meting out punishment to athletes who fail to deliver. Immediately after Sydney, the NOC did take punitive measures, including a ban on participation in international championships, against several athletes who came up short.
The new year has brought some hope that a new chapter may be beginning. Opening the door to public figures to run for the NOC elections, along with officials of sports federations, might see the start of a new chemistry. New NOC faces include Ashraf Bakir, elected vice president, and Ismail Hamed, secretary-general. This mix of new and old could benefit Egyptian sports for ambition and experience often make for a winning combination.
Of course, it , remains to be seen what Sabet and company will do in the 2004 Games in Athens. He has been given another mandate -- and one more chance.
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