Over the past weeks, Egyptian athletes have represented the country and the continent on the international stage in three different sports: handball, football, and tennis. While none of them came home with gold medals, their eventful performances sparked strong, often conflicting sentiments among audiences. “It’s this ‘performing honourably’ attitude that’s blocking our way to success,” I read on social media the day the Egyptian National Handball team lost to Denmark by a hair after 20 minutes of extra time and a penalty shootout, referring to to a mantra often repeated when athletes are unsuccessful in their endeavours. I was taken aback, because – while disappointed we came so close and did not win – I was incredibly pleased and proud of the Egyptian handball team’s performance in the World Championship. I was at a loss to make sense of why being proud of our team’s honourable performance somehow contributed to Egypt’s athletic failures. This debate only grew when Al-Ahly fought hard against European Champions Bayern München in the FIFA Club World Cup, ultimately to lose 2-0. Audiences were torn between those feeling proud and frankly surprised that the team was…
Performing Honourably: Why Not All Losses Are Created Equal in Egyptian Sports
February 13, 2021
