21 - 27 February 2002
Issue No.574
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 21 - 27 February 2002 Issue No.574 |
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Two birds with one ball
Zamalek's handballers captured the super league title and qualified for the Arab Cup Winners Cup. Inas Mazhar reports on the double and features an Egyptian who is up for the world's best player
Zamalek kept their super league handball crown after a nail-biting 22-22 draw with league champions Ahli.
Zamalek's stubborn defence constantly frustrated Ahli star Hussein Awwad
photo:El-Sayed Abdel-Qader
Zamalek took the super league, a three-day tournament that pits the top four clubs in the league in a round-robin system, after collecting eight points. Ahli finished one point behind, followed by Sporting Club of Alexandria and Tairan.
Ahli and Zamalek, whose players make up the bulk of the national team preparing for the World Championship in Portugal next year, made for an entertaining spectacle in which players' over- enthusiasm sometimes got the better of them. But the referees kept the match in check. And when compared with previous derbies, spectators at the sold-out Cairo Stadium indoor complex were on their best behaviour.
The victory compensated Zamalek, winners of last year's triple crown -- the league, cup and super league championships -- after failing to defend their league title which went to Ahli. As league champions, Ahli will represent Egypt in the African League Champions Cup. Winning the super league tournament allowed Zamalek to enter the Arab Cup Winners Cup.
Playing for Zamalek was Hussein Zaki, a candidate for the world's best player. Zaki, 22, was described by the International Handball Federation (IHF) as the "linchpin of the Egyptians with his polished jumping and throwing techniques."
The award, the highest in international handball, goes to the player who, among personal and team achievements, shows character and who can act as a role model.
The editorial staff of World Handball Magazine has made its own nominations which are in no way binding and make no claim whatsoever to be exhaustive. Its world's best list includes goalkeeper David Barrufet from Spain; German centre Markus Baur; Russian winger Eduardo Kokcharov; Swedish team captain Stefan Lovgren; Croatia's right back Petar Metlic; former world player of the year, France's Jackson Richardson; title holder Dragan Skribic of Yugoslavia and South Korea's all-rounder, left-handed Kyung shin yoon.
Ballot papers of not more than one name will be sent to the IHF's headquarters in Basel, Switzerland no later than 1 April.
At 17, Zaki was the youngest player ever to join the national team and became the only player to represent both the senior and junior squads at the same time. He helped lead the youth team to third place at the 1999 World Championships in Qatar and the national team to fourth place at the World Men's championship in France last year.
Zaki is sure to be one of the brighter lights at the World Championship in Portugal which has redefined its points system to give competitors more than one chance. Points won by teams in the preliminary round will be taken into account in the second round. The system is intended to guarantee that teams will continue competing -- even after making one "slip" -- in the hope of winning the title.
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