In this week&rsquo;s edition, we discuss the government&rsquo;s retreating provision of sports and active spaces for the general public in favor of boosting investments to host international sporting events
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After winning bronze, Egyptian fencer Mohamed El-Sayed won Egypt&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.youm7.com/story/2024/7/28/%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%85-%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1-%D9%8A%D8%B2%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B3-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A8%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%A9/6655391">first</a> <a href="https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/medals">medal</a> at the Paris Olympics. This year, Egypt sent the <a href="https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/medals">largest</a> delegation in its history to the 2024 Olympics. Historically, Egypt&rsquo;s achievements at the Olympics have been <a href="https://www.yallakora.com/paris-2024-olympic-others/2700/news/411529/%D9%84%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AE-%D8%A3%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A3%D9%83%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%AB%D8%A9-%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AE-%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%AD%D8%AB-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D9%86%D8%B2-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B7%D9%88%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%88-">modest</a> compared to those of similar countries. This reflects the government&rsquo;s diminishing support for sports infrastructure, which is essential to developing the talents and potential of athletes and young people in general. The current state policy focuses on <a href="https://carnegieendowment.org/sada/2023/05/rediscovering-sports-in-egypt?lang=en">attracting</a> investments to build stadiums and other large sporting venues to host international sporting events. In contrast, it has scaled down support for sport-specialized schools, government athletic clubs, youth centers, and public spaces that guarantee the right to exercise and physical activity for all.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://api-aps.aucegypt.edu/uploads/tinymce/1722785968imagemceclip0.png" width="405">
<h3>The right to sport</h3>
The government <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=875246584645763&amp;id=100064812882317&amp;set=a.144073987763030">plans</a> for the sports sector to contribute 3% of the GDP by 2030. To achieve this ambitious vision, the government <a href="https://acpss.ahram.org.eg/News/16928.aspx">seeks</a> to cut funding for the Ministry of Youth and Sports and sports activities. Instead, the government wants the sports sector bankrolled through self-financing and corporate and bank sponsorships. For economic gain, the government also intends to generate profit by utilizing sports venues in youth centers and elsewhere.
From 2018 to 2023, the government <a href="https://www.emys.gov.eg/details/12829">carried out</a> 1,141 investment projects affiliated with the Ministry of Youth and Sport, including the construction of stadiums, swimming pools, event halls, shops, and gyms. These investment activities <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=875246584645763&amp;id=100064812882317&amp;set=a.144073987763030">resulted</a> in some EGP9 billion in returns. However, the proceeds of these projects <a href="https://aps.aucegypt.edu/en/articles/1382/spending-on-subsidies-not-stadiums">fall short</a> of serving the interests of local communities, who continue to <a href="https://aps.aucegypt.edu/en/articles/1382/spending-on-subsidies-not-stadiums">endure</a> poor conditions and budget deficits in youth centers.
<h3 dir="ltr">Egypt&rsquo;s athletes: limited scoring opportunities</h3>
The government&rsquo;s interest in expanding the country&rsquo;s athletic base has <a href="https://egyptathletesforum.com/the-challenges-faced-by-egyptian-athletes/">declined</a>, reflected in fewer state-sponsored opportunities, spaces, and resources for athletes. Between 2012 and 2021, the number of clubs affiliated with ministries and government agencies <a href="https://www.capmas.gov.eg/Pages/Publications.aspx?page_id=5104&amp;Year=23484">fell</a> by nearly half, while the number of clubs affiliated with public companies that serve employees decreased by 15%.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://api-aps.aucegypt.edu/uploads/tinymce/1722786083imagemceclip1.png" width="405">
The government has heavily diverted its spending away from providing necessary amenities such as clubs and academic scholarships for athletes and towards funding various <a href="https://mped.gov.eg/DynamicPage?id=94&amp;lang=ar&amp;%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B9%D9%8A">awareness programs</a>. In 2021/22, the government <a href="https://mped.gov.eg/DynamicPage?id=94&amp;lang=ar&amp;%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B9%D9%8A">spent</a> EGP53.9 million on a program intended to amplify the attendees&rsquo; sense of loyalty and belonging and another EGP19.8 million to increase social awareness and political participation. Such programs fall more fittingly within the purview of political parties and civil society organizations.
The <a href="https://www.capmas.gov.eg/Pages/Publications.aspx?page_id=5104&amp;Year=23484">lack</a> of government investment in sports infrastructure serving the broad middle class led to a 33% <a href="https://www.capmas.gov.eg/Pages/Publications.aspx?page_id=5104&amp;Year=23484">decline</a> in the number of players in government clubs and a 51% drop in athletes in youth centers between 2013 and 2021.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://api-aps.aucegypt.edu/uploads/tinymce/1722786170imagemceclip2.png" width="405">
<h3 dir="ltr">No time for sports, no place for exercise</h3>
Data from a 2015 survey of adolescent time use <a href="https://www.unicef.org/egypt/media/5376/file/Time%20use%20for%20adolescents%20and%20Youth%20in%20Egypt.pdf">show</a> that 10&ndash;14-year-olds are more involved in sports than 15&ndash;19-year-olds. This <a href="https://social.desa.un.org/publications/compendium-on-sport-for-development-and-peace#:~:text=The%202030%20Agenda%20for%20Sustainable%20Development%20recognizes%20the,%282030%20Agenda%20for%20Sustainable%20Development%20A%2FRES%2F70%2F1%2C%20paragraph%2037%29.">demonstrates</a> the importance of investing in physical education and encouraging athletics during school years to promote child and adolescent development and advance their education and health.
Despite this, public schools&rsquo; interest in physical education is <a href="https://bnni.journals.ekb.eg/article_171139_719dc24a6cf593421de26359843e8ca7.pdf">declining</a>, reflected in their <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/11/7/842">neglect</a> of physical education classes and the lack of decent playgrounds. <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/11/7/842">Fitness levels</a> among Egyptian children, especially those from low-income families, are substandard.
In effect, the low quality of services offered by public schools and youth centers has <a href="https://eujournal.org/index.php/esj/article/view/4196/4029">restricted</a> access to athletics for well-to-do families who can afford private clubs. Consequently, in the eight years between 2013 and 2021, the total number of players in private clubs has seen a 22% <a href="https://www.capmas.gov.eg/Pages/Publications.aspx?page_id=5104&amp;Year=23484">increase</a>.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://api-aps.aucegypt.edu/uploads/tinymce/1722786352imagemceclip3.png" width="405">
The time-use survey also found that young people in Egypt spend much of their time watching television and sitting in front of screens, which puts them at <a href="https://journalistsresource.org/education/screen-time-children-health-research/#:~:text=The%20average%20amount%20of%20screen%20time%20for%20the,subsequent%20time%20points%20of%203%20and%205%20years.">risk</a> of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8429929/#B43">disease</a> and academic underachievement. This can be <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6737923/">attributed</a> partly to the government&rsquo;s failure to provide free <a href="https://books.google.com.eg/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=RnOyDwAAQBAJ&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PA48&amp;dq=World+Health+Organization+Global+Action+Plan+on+Physical+Activity+2018+-+2030+-+More+Active+People+for+a+Healthier+World+2018+&amp;ots=GQcvRhNx0l&amp;sig=TDncx8mMLhHxpx9LoHeiCGZ8Qq0&amp;redir_esc=y#v=onepage&amp;q=World%20Health%20Organization%20Global%20Action%20Plan%20on%20Physical%20Activity%202018%20-%202030%20-%20More%20Active%20People%20for%20a%20Healthier%20World%202018&amp;f=false">public spaces</a> for exercise that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/07/egypt-obesity-battle-calories-overweight">encourage</a> young people to be physically active.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://api-aps.aucegypt.edu/uploads/tinymce/1722786409imagemceclip4.png" width="405">
<h3 dir="ltr">When it&rsquo;s time for sports, girls sit on the sidelines</h3>
The crisis of sports in Egypt is not limited to discrimination against low-income people. The reality of Egyptian athletics <a href="https://social.desa.un.org/publications/compendium-on-sport-for-development-and-peace#:~:text=The%202030%20Agenda%20for%20Sustainable%20Development%20recognizes%20the,%282030%20Agenda%20for%20Sustainable%20Development%20A%2FRES%2F70%2F1%2C%20paragraph%2037%29.">shows</a> a lag in women&rsquo;s empowerment by the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.&nbsp;
The statement issued by the Egyptian Olympic Committee on the disqualification of boxer Yumna Ayyad after she failed to meet the requirements for her weight class <a href="https://www.facebook.com/100046656443336/posts/1023514835880388/?mibextid=WC7FNe&amp;rdid=BMQcApayS4UjaIJL">highlights</a> the continued discrimination against women in Egyptian sports and the sports administration&rsquo;s failure to apply the principles of <a href="https://social.desa.un.org/publications/compendium-on-sport-for-development-and-peace#:~:text=The%202030%20Agenda%20for%20Sustainable%20Development%20recognizes%20the,%282030%20Agenda%20for%20Sustainable%20Development%20A%2FRES%2F70%2F1%2C%20paragraph%2037%29.">gender integration</a>.
In the same vein, societal discrimination against women in sports is further demonstrated by the highly <a href="https://www.unicef.org/egypt/media/5376/file/Time%20use%20for%20adolescents%20and%20Youth%20in%20Egypt.pdf">modest</a> amount of time that young women are allowed to devote to athletics. The pervasiveness of customs and traditions that permit young men to spend their free time in sports clubs and youth centers and relegate girls to household chores is partially responsible for this gender discrepancy.
<img src="https://api-aps.aucegypt.edu/uploads/tinymce/1722786473imagemceclip5.png" width="405">
The geographical distribution of sports participation also <a href="https://www.capmas.gov.eg/Pages/Publications.aspx?page_id=5104&amp;Year=23484">shows</a> gender disparities. At most, 12.3% of players at youth centers across the country are women. In rural areas, women&rsquo;s participation is even <a href="https://www.capmas.gov.eg/Pages/Publications.aspx?page_id=5104&amp;Year=23484">lower</a>, at less than 10%. of total players. Some governorates, such as Beheira, New Valley, and the villages of the Red Sea governorate, do not have women's teams or players.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://api-aps.aucegypt.edu/uploads/tinymce/1722786554imagemceclip6.png" width="405">
<h3 dir="ltr">Athletics policy for development</h3>
<a href="https://carnegieendowment.org/sada/2023/05/rediscovering-sports-in-egypt?lang=en">Identifying</a> sports as a revenue-generating resource for the public treasury, the government continues to encourage athletics projects that generate tangible profits while retreating from <a href="https://aps.aucegypt.edu/en/articles/1382/spending-on-subsidies-not-stadiums">investment in grassroots infrastructure</a> that would make sports accessible to all. The state should recognize this oversight, <a href="https://www.mena.org.eg/ar/news/dbcall/table/webnews/id/10183505">focus on</a> physical education in schools, and provide public spaces that allow everyone to engage in physical activity. The government should also establish more <a href="https://moe.gov.eg/en/what-s-on/news/republic-championship/">sports schools</a> to develop the human capital and nurture its pool of future professional athletes.
The state began establishing schools geared toward athletics in the 1990s; however, they are currently suffering from <a href="https://sport.elwatannews.com/ar/1/1/163022/%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%82%D9%8A%D9%82-%D9%85%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%88%D9%87%D9%88%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B6%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D8%BA%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A3%D8%A8%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A8%D9%84-%D8%A8%D9%81%D8%B9%D9%84-%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B9%D9%84">neglect</a>, with some in the governorates having been completely shuttered. Public sports schools are necessary as they offer athletic incentives to students and provide specialized oversight of their sports activities to qualify them for regional and international competitions.
The government should also <a href="https://social.desa.un.org/sites/default/files/publications/2024-04/Compendium%20on%20Sport%20for%20Development%20and%20Peace.pdf">learn</a> from the experiences of other countries in the Global South. Brazil, which has won numerous Olympic medals throughout the years, supports the sports sector by offering tax incentives to athletics sponsors and fully funded academic scholarships for talented athletes. In Turkey, the government has recently <a href="https://social.desa.un.org/sites/default/files/publications/2024-04/Compendium%20on%20Sport%20for%20Development%20and%20Peace.pdf">adopted</a> a comprehensive plan to invest in sports infrastructure, implement effective talent search programs, and provide athletes with material and technical support throughout their training and studies.
Most importantly, the Egyptian government <a href="https://social.desa.un.org/sites/default/files/publications/2024-04/Compendium%20on%20Sport%20for%20Development%20and%20Peace.pdf">must realize</a> that a solid grassroots sports infrastructure is an integral part of achieving sustainable development. This vision should inform government sports policies because investment in infrastructure that provides spaces and opportunities for the broad public to engage in physical activity is the path to athletic achievement.
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<div style="text-align: justify;">"Adasa" is a weekly policy digest by Alternative Policy Solutions. "Adasa" provides an analysis of a select number of policy developments and their effect on inclusive development and socioeconomic change.</div>
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مصر.. ميدالية أولمبية في التخلي عن الرياضة

Egypt: A Medal in Neglecting Sports