Photo finish

As the Pan-Arab Games in Algeria draw to a close, an unexpectedly tight medals race is heating the championship up. Inas Mazhar is looking at a race to the wire

---

Click to view caption

Abdel-Aziz Mohamed of Egypt rides his bicycle in the 1000 metres race at the Games. Mohamed won the silver medal, while Egyptian swimmer Salma Zeinhoum points upwards after winning the 200 metres

By Monday, Egypt had been leading the Pan-Arab Games with 61 gold medals, 30 silver and 39 bronze for 130 medals. Algeria was second with 45 gold, 52 silver and 58 bronze for 155 medals and a better overall output. Egypt leads, however, because of having more gold medals.

But that was before track and field. Egypt is taking part with only three athletes in athletics, a sport that includes 42 disciplines. Algeria, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are thus expected to vie for the medals on the track while Egypt waits on the sidelines and prays that by tomorrow, when the championship ends, its lead will see it through. If not, it will be only the second time Egypt has not come out on top of a Pan-Arab Games, the one time finishing second to Syria when the event was staged in Damascus.

Algerian and Moroccan track and field athletes are of world calibre, affording a grand opportunity to Algeria in particular, the host nation, to snatch first place in these, the 10th Pan-Arab Games. A good Moroccan performance in track could be in favour of the Egyptians though as it might slow down Algeria's medal tally.

Judo is another sport that might affect Egypt's position after the federation decided to take part with only one athlete. Egyptian champion Basel El- Gharabawi, who plays in the open weight division, was unable to join the team because of a shoulder injury that required surgery, whereas Islam El- Shehabi needed an operation on his back. Female judoist Samah Ramadan was also left off the squad for missing too many training sessions.

According to Mahmoud Shukri, deputy head of the Egyptian delegation, track and field could well determine the winner of the Games. "So will judo in which we are represented by just one player."

However, Shukri added that Egypt was counting on other sports to compensate for its near absence in track and field like fencing, table tennis, kick boxing and shooting.