The Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports has announced on 17 October a campaign to address unauthorised and illegal attempts by foreign entities to naturalise Egyptian athletes, which is the process of granting foreign citizenship to Egyptian athletes. The initiative comes in response to growing concerns over potential violations of international sports regulations and ethical standards governing athlete transfers.
In a statement released by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, there is concern regarding reported efforts to recruit Egyptian athletes through what it characterised as irregular or illegal channels. According to Minister of Youth and Sports Ashraf Sobhi, naturalisation may contravene Olympic values and international sporting regulations, and could also constitute exploitation of athletes in vulnerable situations.
The ministry confirmed that it is working in coordination with the Egyptian Olympic Committee, the Egyptian Wrestling Federation, the African Wrestling Confederation, and the International Wrestling Federation to stop foreign attempts of stealiling its top athletes. Formal communications have been sent to relevant bodies requesting that any unauthorised naturalisation processes involving Egyptian athletes be halted immediately.
The issue has reportedly been added to the agenda of the International Wrestling Federation for further review. Minister Sobhi acknowledged the support of African sporting bodies, including African Wrestling Confederation President Fouad Maskout, in advocating for a unified response to the matter.
This development follows the recent announcement by Egyptian Olympic wrestler Mohamed Ibrahim, known as “Kesho,” who said on 8 October that he intended to obtain U.S. citizenship with the aim of representing the United States at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Ibrahim, a bronze medallist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and five-time world champion in Greco-Roman wrestling, cited longstanding dissatisfaction with the level of institutional support provided by Egyptian authorities.
Currently based in the United States, Ibrahim is training independently and has begun the naturalisation process. His decision has drawn attention within both national and international sports communities.
While acknowledging challenges in athlete development and retention, Egyptian officials emphasise the need for transfers of sporting nationality to be conducted in accordance with established legal and ethical frameworks.
Minister Sobhi concluded the statement with a call for international cooperation, urging sports federations to work collectively to uphold the principles of fairness, athlete welfare, and regulatory compliance across all levels of competition.
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