11 - 17 April 2002
Issue No.581
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 11 - 17 April 2002 Issue No.581 |
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Rare in a man's world
She is the only female referee in the tournament and the Arab world
It is hard to keep from closely watching Samah Hanafi officiate at a squash game, no matter how good the contestants on the court are, no matter how important the match is. In a field where men rule, she is a first -- the only female referee in Egypt, the Arab world and at the squash tournament in Hurghada, writes Nashwa Abdel-Tawab.
Samah Hanafi
Hanafi, 34, has 13 major tournaments and more than 70 international matches under her belt, but none has been easy. "Being a squash referee is very difficult," Hanafi told the Weekly. "Sometimes you cannot see well, there's little space, a player can be sneaky, so it's always based on your judgment. A referee must be a leader with one decision, never hesitate. But people have to remember we're also human."
Hanafi was the only referee to cancel a national championship game because of misconduct by a player -- a male. "He was warned twice," she said. "It was a hard decision but it made my reputation. Every player respects me now."
Hanafi was a karate champion and shifted to squash when she saw her coach playing for fun. At 16, she entered a squash court for the first time and it was love at first sight.
She left karate for good. "I started late," said Hanafi. "So I started training six days a week to catch up in style, court experience and fitness."
At 19, she started competing at the national level and reached fifth in Cairo and sixth in the country.
In 1996, Hanafi's future took a twist after the federation established a refereeing committee in which she was elected treasurer. Administrative work soon led to officiating. "Deep inside I like to officiate not because I like authority but because I know how fair I am in life. I used to referee games before being elected."
Hanafi never forgets the push given her by former president of the Egyptian federation, Hossam Nasser. "He believed in me."
In 1996, Egypt hosted the first African championship in which Hanafi started refereeing international matches. In August of the same year it hosted the world junior championship. "This was a great opportunity for me, especially after classes we took at the time with world referee Graham Horrex."
Horrex, too, believed in her judging abilities. In 1999, when Egypt hosted the world championship for men, Horrex attended two of Hanafi's games. He gave her 10 out of 10 in a team game with Ireland and eight out of 10 in a Norwegian- Kenyan game.
So accomplished is Hanafi -- she is the only woman referee out of 65 in Egypt -- that she is a candidate for executive manager of the national Egyptian championship for the next three years.
Referees in squash go through a rigorous step-by-step process before reaching the top. First a marker, then a national referee, then a regional referee, then an international and ultimately a world referee. Besides the difficult ladder of success one must climb, there are financial constraints. Hanafi has to referee abroad on her own expense. The federation does not offer a dime in aid.
When not officiating, Hanafi rules in her office work as well -- as a supervisor of the current accounts department in the Egyptian Commercial Bank with six employees under her supervision.
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