23 - 29 August 2001
Issue No.548
|
Al-Ahram Weekly Online 23 - 29 August 2001 Issue No.548 |
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
Start worrying
Egypt's volleyball teams qualified for the World Cup but, asks Abeer Anwar, what then?
The men and women of Egypt's national volleyball teams smashed their African opposition in a smooth qualifying campaign but will there be a repeat performance in the World Cup?
A spike against Cameroon followed by Egyptian celebrations
The men brushed aside their opponents to become the first African team to qualify for the World Cup, to be held in Argentina in September, winning all their qualification matches as they blanked Morocco 3-0, beat Nigeria 3-2 and ousted Cameroon 3-0.
The women fared just as well, led by Tahani Tusun, Egypt's most prolific spiker, who was named the best African player for a remarkable 18th consecutive time.
The results, naturally, were met with much applause. "I'm very pleased with the performance of both teams during the qualifications," said Amr Elwani, head of the Egyptian Volleyball Federation and vice-president of the International Volleyball Federation. "But they have to prepare well for the World Cup in order to realise a decent position."
"We have to prepare very well for the championship in order to be able to win a match or two but we will not be able to achieve a good place," Tusun said. "We will finish either last or before the last."
How well or bad will the teams do in Argentina? Past achievements provide part of the answer. In the 2000 Sydney Olympics, both squads went out of the first round, losing all their matches. In the 1998 World Championships in Japan, the men qualified but not the girls. But even then, they won only two sets from their first three matches. Having trained for two months in California, and spending LE2 million, each set, therefore, cost LE1 million.
So even though the teams made it to the World Cup the celebrations should be put on hold. Even the age-old thinking that experience is gained by playing stronger teams in big meets does not hold water in this particular situation. Egypt has participated countless times in major world events yet has hardly progressed. The men are ranked No 21 in the world while the women are nowhere to be seen in world seedings.
Experts believe the money would be better spent holding friendly matches with world class teams or preparing a fresh batch of promising youngsters to represent Egypt in the 2004 Olympics.
The World Cup is not the only thing of concern to the volleyball federation. The World Junior Championship trophy, which was flown in especially for the tournament starting next month, is currently impounded at Cairo Airport until after the federation pays LE2,000 in customs duties.
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
| ARCHIVES Letter from the Editor Editorial Board Subscription Advertise! |
WEEKLY ONLINE: www.ahram.org.eg/weekly Updated every Saturday at 11.00 GMT, 2pm local time weeklyweb@ahram.org.eg |
 Al-Ahram Organisation |
Recommend this page