Minister of Youth and Sports Ashraf Sobhi said there is great support from President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to ensure the success of the 27th IHF Men's World Championships, Egypt 2021, which will be hosted by Egypt from 13-31 January, especially that handball is the second-most popular sport in the country.

In an interview with MENA Board Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Ali Hassan, the minister extended thanks to the political leadership and President El-Sisi for their efforts to help the Youth and Sports Ministry organize the tournament in a record time amid the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

In the same regard, Sobhi expressed thanks to all state departments and ministries for their cooperation and contribution to organizing that big international event.

The minister said all preparations for the tournament have been made in accordance with the specified timeline, noting that the handball courts that will host the tournament matches will be a source of pride for all Egyptians.

Egypt's construction capabilities during President El-Sisi’s era are proceeding according to a planned strategy for all sports in compliance with relevant international standards and requirements, Sobhi noted.

The minister added that the Supreme Organizing Committee of the 2021 IHF Men’s World Championship, chaired by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, has been closely following up all preparations made for the tournament, noting that the tournament’s executive committee has good experience especially after organizing the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019, and the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in the same year.

Sobhi said it has been a major challenge to organize the tournament amid the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, especially in winter, noting in this regard that the Egyptian state is exerting its utmost efforts to ensure the event’s success.

He added that President of the International Handball Federation Hassan Moustafa has not requested any postponement of the IHF Men’s World Championship since the outbreak of the coronavirus crisis, given that the international calendar of sporting events is witnessing momentum in 2021, including the Olympic Games Tokyo 2021 slated for the coming summer, which makes it difficult to delay the event.

Meanwhile, Sobhi said the Ministry of Youth and Sports has established three handball courts in the New Administrative Capital, 6th of October city and Alexandria’s Borg El-Arab city, adding that the court at Cairo International Stadium has been upgraded.

On that score, the minister said the construction of tournament venues has cost a total of EGP 3.2 billion, noting that locations of the new courts have been distributed from a marketing perspective so that they would benefit the country in organizing similar major international championships in the future.

Sobhi noted that the court at the New Administrative Capital, the newest one built, has been mainly constructed to host matches of the 2021 IHF Men’s World Championship.

The court, which accommodates up to 7,500 spectators, has been built at a total cost of EGP 2.2 billion, he said.

Sobhi said that Dr Hassan Moustafa Indoor Sports Complex, which is located in the heart of the Sixth of October City, west of Cairo, is among Egypt's newest sport facilities that will host the 27th IHF Men’s World Championship, set for Egypt from January 13 to 31. The hall can host up to 5,200 spectators, and it is not less than any of other halls hosting the tournament, the minister said, adding it has the same advantages that provide teams and fans with all means of comfort.

The hall was built in 2020 and boasts a VIP lounge, a training hall, and a fully equipped spa for teams, a building designated to host the headquarters of the Egyptian Handball Federation (EHF) headed by Dr. Hassan Moustafa, the African Handball Association (CAHB: Confédération Africaine de HandBall), and the International Handball Federation (IHF), the minister noted.

He added that a new sports hall had been established in Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria city, with a capacity of 5,000 spectators, underlining that Borg El Arab Sports Hall was built specifically as part of Egypt’s successful bid to host the 27th IHF Men’s World Championship.

He added that Cairo Stadium Indoor Hall is the most famed hall in Egypt, thanks to its location within the premises of the country’s historic sports’ pylon, as well as its high capacity of 17,000 spectators. The main hall of Cairo International Stadium was founded in 1991, It received an efficiency upgrade in 2015, worth EGP 133 million, as part of Egypt’s genuine efforts to win the right to host the 27th IHF Men’s World Championship.

The minister said that the novel coronavirus crisis caused the in-person sporting events' attendance to be limited to only 20% of the capacity of covered halls, amid strict precautionary measures to protect everyone, whether players, technical staff, referees, or even the spectators themselves, from being infected with the COVID-19 virus.

The youth minister considered that organizing the World Handball Championship in light of the novel coronavirus pandemic will be a milestone in the history of sports in the world, especially as Egypt will flop in the FIFA Club World Cup and the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021.

He further noted that organizing the mondial will be a pioneering experiment and a guidebook that the organizers will benefit from in rendering successful the organization of upcoming tournaments in the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Egyptian Health Ministry will continuously follow up the process of applying anti-COVID measures during the World Handball Championship, Sobhi said, adding that there are a set of precautionary measures for teams coming to participate in the tornoument, starting from their arrival at Cairo International Airport until their departure from the country.

Sobhi said that the organizing committee, in coordination with the medical committee and the Health Ministry, took into account the highest degrees of precautionary measures, stressing that the system followed in the tournament guarantees the highest levels of health isolation, indicating that each hotel in the tournament contains a quasi-hospital, including an analysis laboratory, x-ray rooms, a pharmacy, a clinic including all specialties in light of the imposition of the "quarantine" medical bubble system in the tournoument.

The minister said that there will be special teams from the Health Ministry that will supervise the food and nutrition services offered to the athletes. He also said that there will be nearly five to eight isolation rooms designated inside each hotel hosting the teams participating in the tournament.

In addition to this swab tests will be conducted for all employees in these hotels every three days, along with all participants in the tournament, including players and technical and administrative staff, organizing committee members, and even volunteers participating in the international event, he added.

Sobhi said that Dr Hassan Moustafa Indoor Sports Complex, which is located in the heart of the Sixth of October City, west of Cairo, is among Egypt's newest sport facilities that will host the 27th IHF Men’s World Championship, set for Egypt from January 13 to 31. The hall can host up to 5,200 spectators, and it is not less than any of other halls hosting the tournament, the minister said, adding it has the same advantages that provide teams and fans with all means of comfort.

The hall was built in 2020 and boasts a VIP lounge, a training hall, and a fully equipped spa for teams, a building designated to host the headquarters of the Egyptian Handball Federation (EHF) headed by Dr. Hassan Moustafa, the African Handball Association (CAHB: Confédération Africaine de HandBall), and the International Handball Federation (IHF), the minister noted.

He added that a new sports hall had been established in Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria city, with a capacity of 5,000 spectators, underlining that Borg El Arab Sports Hall was built specifically as part of Egypt’s successful bid to host the 27th IHF Men’s World Championship.

He added that Cairo Stadium Indoor Hall is the most famed hall in Egypt, thanks to its location within the premises of the country’s historic sports’ pylon, as well as its high capacity of 17,000 spectators. The main hall of Cairo International Stadium was founded in 1991, It received an efficiency upgrade in 2015, worth EGP 133 million, as part of Egypt’s genuine efforts to win the right to host the 27th IHF Men’s World Championship.

The minister said that the novel coronavirus crisis caused the in-person sporting events' attendance to be limited to only 20% of the capacity of covered halls, amid strict precautionary measures to protect everyone, whether players, technical staff, referees, or even the spectators themselves, from being infected with the COVID-19 virus.

The youth minister considered that organizing the World Handball Championship in light of the novel coronavirus pandemic will be a milestone in the history of sports in the world, especially as Egypt will flop in the FIFA Club World Cup and the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021. He further noted that organizing the mondial will be a pioneering experiment and a guidebook that the organizers will benefit from in rendering successful the organization of upcoming tournaments in the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Egyptian Health Ministry will continuously follow up the process of applying anti-COVID measures during the World Handball Championship, Sobhi said, adding that there are a set of precautionary measures for teams coming to participate in the tornoument, starting from their arrival at Cairo International Airport until their departure from the country.

Sobhi said that the organizing committee, in coordination with the medical committee and the Health Ministry, took into account the highest degrees of precautionary measures, stressing that the system followed in the tournament guarantees the highest levels of health isolation, indicating that each hotel in the tournament contains a quasi-hospital, including an analysis laboratory, x-ray rooms, a pharmacy, a clinic including all specialties in light of the imposition of the "quarantine" medical bubble system in the tournoument.

The minister said that there will be special teams from the Health Ministry that will supervise the food and nutrition services offered to the athletes. He also said that there will be nearly five to eight isolation rooms designated inside each hotel hosting the teams participating in the tournament. In addition to this swab tests will be conducted for all employees in these hotels every three days, along with all participants in the tournament, including players and technical and administrative staff, organizing committee members, and even volunteers participating in the international event, he added.

Sobhi lauded the magnificent establishment of the Sixth of October branch of Al Nady club, a giant sports edifice set up by the Youths and Sports Ministry in cooperation with the private sector, saying the project comes under the directives of the political leadership to open new prospects for the youths and sports sector in Egypt.

He added that the club has two other branches in Sheraton and the New Administrative Capital districts.

The minister said the club chain is part of government plans to spread sports across the nation, saying there is an integrated plan to develop youths and sports facilities all over Egypt.

The ministry seeks to promote sports across Egypt through developing youth centers and setting up branches of clubs in different governorates to offer better sports services to all segments of the society and create champions in different games, he noted.

Sobhi said the sports city in the New Administrative Capital is about to be completed and it will include a big stadium and an Olympic Village, adding that many sports projects are being set up in new cities and they will all contribute to hosting major international and continental championships.

About amending the new sports law, he said the ministry has been studying several provisions for amendments and they will be referred to the parliament for approval.

He stressed that these proposed amendments were introduced in coordination with the Olympic Committee and run in line with the Olympic Charter, saying the amendments revolve around sports arbitration and the general assemblies of Egyptian clubs and sports federations, saying the new amendments will guarantee the return of some of the ministry’s competences over clubs especially after some negative incidents and behaviors that badly affected the country’s sports sector recently.

About Egypt’s participation in Tokyo Olympics 2021, the minister voiced trust in the skills of Egyptian athletes and their ability to achieve unprecedented accomplishments in the competitions in spite of cancelling most of the training camps abroad because of the coronavirus pandemic.

He wished luck to all athletes during preparations for the Olympics, saying that the sports federations and the Egyptian Olympic committee support them and follow up their preparations for the different competitions.

He said that the Ministry of Youth and Sports launched 300 youth-focused initiatives where 21 million young people took part, pointing out that the youth represent the biggest group of the age-gender-pyramid in Egypt.

On the most important of these initiatives, he mentioned the “stand up with us” initiative which he termed as an extended national awareness campaign targeting young people across all the Egyptian governorates.

The initiative comes within the framework of President Sisi’s call on the youth to stand up against all the internal and external challenges facing the Egyptian state through facing rumors and fake news and spreading more awareness about all contemporary issues of concern to Egypt in addition to preparing a younger generation capable of confronting rumors and serving the best interest of the nation, he said.

Commenting on "No to fanaticism" initiative, the minister said it has had a positive impact, noting that fanaticism is an existing phenomenon that emerged from the fans' feeling of loyalty towards popular clubs.

The social media platforms have played a major role in fueling strife, particularly between fans of archrivals Al-Ahly and Zamalek, he added.

The minister noted that the month of November has been set to mark the initiative every year until "we completely get rid of blind fanaticism".

As for "Your Bike … Your Health" initiative, Sobhi said his ministry will start as of Sunday receiving reservation requests for the third phase of the initiative which aims at helping citizens to lead a healthier lifestyle by encouraging them to exercise more and practice sports such as cycling.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports will also offer bikes for buyers at a lower price as part of the initiative, the minister said, noting that a large number of youths benefited from the first two phases of the initiative.

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