With an unprecedented live phone call from Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El Sisi to Karateka Feryal Ashraf and her family on “ Al tase3a” TV program on Sunday evening, the Egyptian President has given his full support to the young champion and all young Egyptian athletes who did succeed to change the sport’ scene in Egypt.
The victory of the Egyptian Champion, who gave Egypt its first gold medal at the Olympics since the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, is a story that says much about how a champion is made!
From a youth center in the El Marg neighborhood to Tokyo Olympics 2020, the dedicated persistent young champion was able to make it!
Training up to 6 times per day, attending her training with the national team as well as with her coach Mamduh Salem in the youth center, the huge family support, believing in her dream with much persistence to win the Olympics, are actually all the factors that contributed to making this champion shine not just on the national level but worldwide!
Over a phone call President Sisi talked about the idea of “making a champion”; he explained that success is reached when all the factors are just there: Athlete’s dedication & hard work, full family support, with the support of governmental sport institutes. Sisi stressed on the critical role that Feryal parent’s played, stating that a middle class Egyptian family with so much support given to their daughter they succeeded to make us all proud; not only in Egypt but in the Arab world.
Feryal achievement came as a proof that the national sport scene is actually taking a real high curve; much attention is given to the sport scene and this is actually a critical point that the President discussed with the TV anchor Youssef El-Husseini during Sunday’s episode.
During her live zoom call with President Sisi; Feryal wished for more contributions from the private sector in giving the sport scene in Egypt a good boost; she said that businessmen should contribute as sponsors in many aspects related to sports. She praised the president’s continuous support given to young Egyptian athletes.
After writing on his official facebook page “I congratulate the daughter of Egypt, champion Feryal Ashraf, for winning the Karate gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics,” on Saturday; on Sunday, he announced that some bridges and main axes will be named after Feryal Ashraf and fellow Olympic champions in appreciation of their athletic achievements at Tokyo Olympics.
Feryal has actually won previous medals, one of which was a gold medal in the world championship 2019. Mamduh Salem, Feryal coach in El Marg youth center stated that the champion’s winning the gold medal at Tokyo Olympics came after achieving previous international ranks and winning medals; however winning the gold medal of the Olympics was actually her main target that she sincerely worked hard to achieve and actually she did after defeating Azerbaijan’s Irina Zaretska in the final of the +61kg category.