The Paralympic movement in Egypt began after the 6 October 1973 War under the patronage of then first lady Jehan Al-Sadat, at Al-Wafaa Wal Amal Foundation, a rehabilitation centre.
Around the same time, the Al-Mostakbal Foundation was established in the coastal city of Alexandria to care for people with disabilities under the direction of Anwar Abdel-Latif.
In 1982, the Egyptian Federation of Sports for the Disabled was founded under the Ministry of Youth and Sports by famed journalist Ahmed Al-Minshillini as its first president.
Egypt’s participation in the Paralympic Games began in Toronto in 1976, and Egypt’s first participation under the Egyptian Federation of Sports for the Disabled took place at the 1988 Seoul Paralympic Games. All sports for the disabled were included in the organisation created in 1982.
After the founding of the International Paralympic Committee in 1989 and the strategic decision to create national Paralympic committees, the Ministry of Youth and Sports decided in 2004 to create the Egyptian Paralympic Committee, the sole body responsible for all types of sports for the disabled.
The new constitution of the Egyptian Paralympic Committee was approved following the adoption of a new sports law by the parliament. The General Assembly included member federations (Olympic and Paralympic).
Toronto 1976
Egypt collected eight medals to finish in 20th place (five gold, two silver and one bronze).
Arnhem 1980
The Paralympic Games in Arnhem in The Netherlands, equivalent to the Olympic Games in Moscow, included Egyptians Gharib Khater, Hanan Ahmed Fathi, Khader Metwalli, Salem Al-Zabini, Mohamed Ahmed Salama, Nagat Gaber Ali, and Tamer Labib. Egypt collected 14 medals for 22nd place with four gold, seven silver and three bronze.
New York 1984
This edition witnessed the first medal for Egyptians in five-a-side football, a silver. Egypt collected one gold, one silver and five bronze for 33rd place.
Seoul 1988
Egypt won one gold, two silver and five bronze, coming in 34th place. Mohamed Abdullah stood out with a gold in the discus and two bronze in shot put and javelin. The goalball team secured the bronze medal in their first appearance in the Paralympic Games.
Barcelona 1992
The Egyptians made a mark in this edition by winning 20 medals, including seven gold, six silver, and seven bronze and ending up in 19th place. Athletics was a major contributor to the haul, securing nine medals.
Atlanta 1996
The United States hosted the Paralympic Games once again, and Egypt surpassed their performance in Barcelona by winning 30 medals (eight gold, 11 silver, and 11 bronze) to rank 21. Athletics alone secured 22 medals. Powerlifting won six and swimming two. It was Egypt’s best showing in the Games to date.
Sydney 2000
Egypt could not replicate its Atlanta success but still came out with 28 medals (six gold, 12 silver and 10 bronze), two fewer than in Atlanta. Egypt ranked in 23rd place. Athletics and powerlifting were the only disciplines to win medals while the sitting volleyball team finished fourth.
Athens 2004
Powerlifting grabbed 13 out of the 23 medals that Egypt secured (six gold, nine silver and eight bronze). Egypt came in 24th place. The Egyptian and world powerlifting legend Fatma Omar won gold and set a new world record in the 56 kg category. The sitting volleyball team, which finished fourth last time, won bronze.
Beijing 2008
Egypt continued to shine in powerlifting, winning 10 out of the 12 medals in the sport. Fatma Omar won her third gold medal in a row and set a new world record in the 56 kg category. The sitting volleyball team won silver. Egypt collected four gold, four silver and four bronze to finish in 29th place in the medals table.
London 2012
Egyptians won 15 medals (four gold, four silver and seven bronze), including a new world record set by powerlifter Sherif Othman. Egypt landed in 28th place.
Rio 2016
Egypt won 12 medals in total (three gold, five silver and four bronze), ending in 26th place. Powerlifter Sherif Othman set a new world record and won his third consecutive gold medal.
Tokyo 2020
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games were postponed to 2021. The Egyptian delegation continued its tradition of excellence in powerlifting, winning seven medals (five silver and two bronze) but fell in the overall ranking to 64th place. It also did not win a single gold medal.
So, during its Paralympic history, Egypt collected a total of 184 medals: 49 gold, 68 silver and 67 bronze.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 29 August, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly