Military gold

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EGYPT claimed the Military World Games football gold medal for the fifth time after defeating Cameroon 2-0 in the final in the Indian city Hyderabad on Saturday. Ahli striker Osama Hosni gave the title holders the lead after scoring as early as the third minute with a powerful header, making good use of Abdullah Ragab's cross from the left flank.

Abdel-Hamid Bassiouni came off the bench to ensure the victory two minutes into stoppage time after capitalising on a dreadful error by the Cameroon goalkeeper. Haras El-Hodoud's Bassiouni finished the tournament as top scorer with six goals along with teammate Hosni.

The Pharaohs reached the final without losing a single point as they came on top of their group, defeating Guinea 3-0 in the opening match. They then thrashed Canada 5-1 and Ireland 7-0. In the quarter finals Egypt overpowered hosts India 1-0. They clashed with Qatar in the semi-finals and hammered them 5-0. The bronze medal went to North Korea after defeating Qatar 2-0.

The Pharaohs won the title for the third successive time as they clinched the previous two editions in Italy's Catania and the Croatian capital Zagreb. They have clinched four titles out of the past seven tournaments.

The Military World Games are a multi-sport event organised every four years, one year before the year the Olympic Games are played. It is an event that is based on the Olympic spirit, without political, religious and racial consideration or discrimination. Furthermore, it must be organised, according to its rules, in a dignified manner.

The Games have been held since 1995. However, championships for separate sports have been held for some years. In 1995, the International Military Sport Council (CISM) decides to break the tradition of organising every year 15 to 20 world championship by gathering all its member nations during its first Military World Games in Rome from 4 to 16 September 1995. These first Games took place to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II and of the ratification of the United Nations Charter. By organising those Games, CISM launched the most explicit and spectacular message of peace to the world. There is indeed no better meaningful and beautiful message of peace than the one sent to the world by the representatives of more than 100 Armed Forces. Those who had seemed to be forever divided by ideological and political barriers came together under the CISM flag in the name of friendship.

CISM entrusts the organisation of the Games to a city, a region, or country. The Games always remain under the aegis of CISM but are managed by the bidding city. It is understood that the bidding city is empowered to take all necessary steps to organise the Games and must work in close cooperation with, among others, the Nations Armed Forces, the National Olympic Committee and the National Sports Federations. The responsibility to organise the Military World Games can, in principle only, be granted to countries which are members or invited to become member of CISM.