Exercise in objectivity

In an effort to allow the world to objectively assess Egypt's 2010 bid, senior football journalists from around the world were invited to conduct their own inspections. Inas Mazhar accompanied the 14-man delegation on its three-day visit to Cairo, Giza and Alexandria

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The European delegation of journalists with 2010 volunteers, officials, and other Egyptian guests

In recent weeks the deprecating rumours circulating in the international press have been rampant. Each of the five bidding countries has been slammed and scrutinised and shunned as not standing a chance of winning the bid to host the 2010 World Cup. Egypt has been subjected to a sizeable share of the slander -- critiqued as wasting money on a race it has long lost. The foundation on which such stories have been built is glaringly absent -- critics offering no basis on which such assumptions are made.

The response of most of the bidding nations' media representatives to foreign critique has been to retort with their own such subjective press. Egypt, however, opted to take a slightly different approach. The Ministry of Youth, in collaboration with the 2010 committee and numerous friends of the file, invited 14 senior editors and reporters from Europe's most prestigious sports magazines and newspapers to Egypt to inspect the country for themselves. The trip marked not only their first to Egypt, but their first time as well, on Middle Eastern soil.

The delegation was comprised of: Massimo Franchi, Tuttosport Magazine, Italy; Guillaume Ribeiro, Afrique Football, Paris; Emmanouli Georgios, Staramopoulos Elephtheros Typos, Greece; Brian Glanville, The Sunday Times, UK; Philippe Auclair, France Football, and BBC Afrique, UK; Jonathan Wilson, Four Two Magazine, UK; Andrew Warshaw, Sunday Telegraph, UK; Ron Mckay, Sunday Herald, Scotland; Gunnar Persson, Swedish Football Yearbook, Sweden; Mike Verwij, De Telegraaf, Amsterdam; Javier Gascon, El Mundo Deportivo, Spain; David De Myttenaere, La Derniere Heure, Belgium; Andrey Morozov and Serguei Pankratiev, Sport Newspaper, Russia.

It was a tightly-packed, three-day schedule for the group of men who had come, essentially, to report objectively on Egypt's capabilities to host the globally fought-over event.

"Nobody can deny the importance of the media and the role it plays in conveying images and messages to their readers, viewers or listeners," Talaat Geneidi, head of the sports body at the Ministry of Youth told Al-Ahram Weekly. "So we decided to invite these gentlemen to view for themselves Egyptian civilisation and facilities. Many Europeans aren't aware of Egypt's capabilities and we need someone to deliver the message correctly."

The delegation started their inspection tour the day of arrival, with those arriving at dawn afforded little time to rest. The journey began with a quick visit to Cairo's International Medical Centre (CIMC). While Russia's Serguei Pankratiev promptly jumped off the bus and immediately started snapping away at pictures, his colleague Andrey Morozov had fallen into a deep sleep, out of which he was teasingly woken in the name of objective journalism. And indeed, at the CIMC, eyes were fast opened and impressions immediately began to form.

"It's such a great building with all required facilities," Italy's Massimo Franchi of Tuttosport Magazine told the Weekly. "We never expected to see such an establishment in the Middle East. It's so modern and up-to-date."

From then, the option to dose was minimised to nil, with the delegation being shuttled to event after location after event.

The expansive grounds that comprise the Cairo Stadium complex came next. The delegation toured all the complex's venues, including the indoor complex, the main stadium, the swimming complex, and the tennis and squash courts. The stadium's all- embracing infrastructure -- like its smaller counterparts including Alexandria Stadium and the Arab Contractor's Stadium -- offered the delegation a discussion point to take home.

"Normally in our countries, sporting facilities are separated," said Frenchman Guillaume Ribeiro of Afrique Football. Both he and other members of the group explained that in Europe it is rare to find such comprehensive sporting complexes, with most stadiums separating football pitches from athletics tracks. The Cairo Stadium complex also plays host to the headquarters of the National Olympic Committee. There, the European team was received by NOC General Director Ahmed Enan, who briefed them on the history of Egyptian sports as he guided them around the Olympic Museum.

The swimming complex of the Cairo Stadium compound was the next stop on the tour. There, the delegation was at last given the chance to sit down and relax -- at the headquarters of the 2010 bid file committee.

Greeted by a swarm of youngsters with flowers and flags, the delegates were ushered into the building and welcomed by members of the committee, including bid file coordinator Hisham Azmi, who made a half-hour presentation on Egypt's file.

Zoheir Ammar, another member of the committee and a member of the Egyptian Football Association board, elaborated on Azmi's talk, offering a detailed look at the issue of security -- a key consideration in the bid qualification process. Ammar meticulously explained how the security of teams and fans would be ensured, and the precautionary measures being taken to ensure optimal evacuation in the unlikely event of a natural disaster (such as an earthquake).

The talk was light-heartedly interrupted by a humorous Azmi professing starvation. Promptly, Ammar rounded things up and the gathering was shuttled to one of the city's more prestigious sporting clubs, the Shams Club in Heliopolis.

Like all else during the three-day trip, lunch was fast, allowing delegates time to meet with some of Egypt's star football players (namely Hossam Hassan, Hazem Imam and Tareq El-Sayed) -- as per request.

Perhaps what came next was the surprise of the trip: the chance to meet the man behind the campaign, Minister of Youth Alieddin Hilal.

For those who know him, Hilal is not what one may expect of a minister, and certainly not one from a country as stereotyped in its "developing" status as Egypt.

"I'm originally a university professor and a politician," Hilal jokingly laughed as he began his media address. "So I'm sort of computerised in the timing of my lectures. So I warn you," he teased. "If nobody stops me or intervenes with questions, I will go on speaking non-stop for the whole period."

The minister spoke of the national passion for football and Egypt's commitment to host the 2010 World Cup. Perhaps captivated by his charisma and eloquent speech, the delegates remained silent, beginning their firing of questions only upon that final full-stop: "What does Egypt have to offer that is different to South Africa and Morocco that will make its bid stronger and more convincing to the FIFA executive board?" one reporter asked.

"And how will Egypt deal with the issue of alcohol?" Frenchman Philippe Auclair of Football Afrique asked. "Egypt will be hosting 32 teams. Most of their fans will be tourists who are in the habit of drinking beer all day." Auclair elaborated that while South Africa and Morocco have no restrictions on alcohol consumption, to his knowledge, in Egypt alcohol is allowed in hotels and big restaurants, but not in public or at the average city café.

"Egypt is a modern country," Hilal responded with his usual smile and good-humour. "There are many bars, hotels and taverns -- particularly downtown -- where alcoholic beverages are served," he pointed out. "We respect their habits."

And indeed, at the dinner banquet following the minister's meeting, alcohol was served: Egyptian- brewed wine.

The following day, the delegates visited the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA), where they met with the new appointed board of directors, headed by Essam Abdel-Moneim. The EFA has been a hot story in recent weeks in the international press, and the European delegation did not forgo the opportunity to ask Abdel-Moneim (head of the Egyptian Sports Press Association and deputy editor of the daily Arabic Al-Ahram newspaper) about how far negotiations towards appointing a new foreign head coach have reached.

"Well," he laughed. "I need to be careful how much I tell you, but you are our guests, so we have to be hospitable! All I can tell you at this point is that it's going to be an Italian coach." Frantic prodding by Italy's Massimo Franchi failed, to his dismay and that of the gathering, to win him a journalistic scoop.

The remainder of the day was intense: a visit to Sixth of October City to tour the high-tech Media Production centre, the satellite centre, and the African Football Confederation headquarters; a quick chance to gape at the Pyramids in Giza; lunch at the Wadi Degla Arsenal Sporting Club; the Arab Champions League Zamalek vs Tunis's Sfax match at the Arab Contractors Stadium, which the hosts lost 2-0; and a night amidst the bubbling bazaar atmosphere of Khan Al-Khalili.

From the looks on their faces, wide-open eyes, at time even jaws, the final day was clearly the most inspiring. Arriving in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, the delegation was escorted to the construction site of the Borg Al-Arab Stadium. The delegation members were stunned. Work on the stadium -- which began a year ago and involves approximately 100 engineers and 2,000 workers -- is well under way. Completion is scheduled for 2005.

Standing on the concrete bleachers already partially in place, Russia's Andrey Morozov teased Emmanouli Georgios of the Greek Staramopoulos Elephtheros Typos magazine, saying that the Egyptians will be five years ahead of schedule. With only five months to go before the 2004 Olympic Games kick-off, some venues in Athens are still not complete -- a reality that has almost caused Greece to be stripped of its Olympic hosting honour.

The intertwining in Alexandria of ancient and modern charmed the visitors.

"It's such a great place, truly historical. It's unbelievable!" Russia's Morozov shared with the Weekly upon touring the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. "I've never seen such a thing in the world."

"It's true," nodded Italy's Franchi. "It's a fourth Pyramid, which we never imagined we would see in Egypt -- all these books, PCs and museums."

The Greeks amongst the crowd, needless to say, revelled in the history. To Georgios, Alexandria smelled Greek. And it literally did an hour later when the gathering dined at the Greek Club of Alexandria.

The sight of Alexandria Stadium's gates astounded the delegation. The stadium, which is the oldest in the world, was built in 1928 with the grandeur and artistry characteristic of the time. In 1931, designers came from the US to Alexandria to create a duplicate for the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Through the stadium, the group toured the office of the stadium's general and the top floor salon used by Egypt's last king. The intricate wall carvings, lavish salons, and ultra-fine murals are all preserved to perfection.

"It's a palace not a stadium," marvelled Jonathan Wilson of England's Four Two Magazine of England.

An unexploited one at that.

"You have to make better use of it," insisted Italy's Franchi. "Hold opening ceremonies, receptions, football galleries, you have to think of something; just don't miss the chance of showing such unique and distinguished architecture to the world."

Nearby, Wilson and Frenchman Philippe Auclair were busy inspecting the remnants of Alexandria's 14th century city wall which abuts the gates and wall of the stadium. Upon building the stadium, it was suggested that the portion of it on-site remain to give the venue a historical worth.

As the delegation left the stadium almost 60 hours after their arrival in Egypt, enthusiasm was high but the energy near gone. It was time to return home to relax -- a ride during which Egypt's World Cup bid was debated. While the delegates commended the country and noted their rectified impression of Egypt as a country with all the amenities and luxuries of the "West", there were, of course, reservations.

"We're very impressed by the country," said Auclair. "But we haven't seen enough to be able to judge everything. Your country is great and you are making a remarkable effort, but FIFA has other calculations," he offered. "Politics will interfere," he cautioned. "We all know that."

Italy's Franchi and England's Wilson agreed, but offered another valid point.

"We can't judge which country is better than the other, because we haven't had the chance to visit the other countries."

And of course, there is the question of the past.

"Both South Africa and Morocco have previous bidding experience," offered France's Ribeiro. "This is the fourth time for the Moroccans and the second for the South Africans, who lost the 2006 World Cup to Germany by just one vote. These two candidates know their way around, who to approach and how to do it," he said. "As a first time for the Egyptians, I think that could be regarded as a weak point," he said, taking the time to contemplate the point. "But then again," he added, "Who knows?"