Sport in Egypt

Football is the most popular national sport of Egypt. The Cairo Derby is one of the fiercest derbies in Africa, and the BBC picked it as one of the 7 toughest derbies in the world.^[1] Al Ahly is the most successful club of the 20th century in the African continent according to CAF, closely followed by their rivals Zamalek SC.^[2] Squash and tennis are other popular sports in Egypt. Egypt has also won in the African Men's Handball Championship five times, being the best team in Africa.

History

Ancient era

The pharaoh's athletic capabilities were one of the central motifs of ancient Egyptian society.^[3] Sport was believed to foster ties to the divine, with board games discovered on the roofs of temples,^[4] as well as increase collaboration in society.^[5]

There were sporting exchanges between Egypt and Greco-Roman cultures as well, due to their Mediterranean proximity.^[6] During the period of Hellenistic and early Roman rule in Egypt, Greek sport became a legal requirement for elites.^[7]

Modern era

In the 1930s and 1940s, Egypt was a powerhouse in weightlifting, boxing, and wrestling with several Olympic and world championship medals.^{[citation needed]} However, the last time they won a medal in boxing was in 1960.^[8]

Roller hockey is also a popular sport in Egypt. The Egyptian national roller hockey team has taken part in many world competitions, but didn't win any as of now.^{[citation needed]}

Egypt featured a national team in beach volleyball that competed at the 2018–2020 CAVB Beach Volleyball Continental Cup in both the women's and the men's section.^[9]

Team sports

Football

Football is the most popular sport in Egypt, many Egyptians gather around to watch various Egyptian clubs and the Egyptian national football team play on an almost daily basis.

Zamalek and Al Ahly are amongst the most popular in the country, both of which are based in Cairo. Both teams compete in the Egyptian Premier League, the highest tier of Egyptian football. These two teams compete in the Cairo Derby. Other notable teams include: Ismaily, Al-Masry, Al Ittihad.

Squash

Squash is a popular sport in Egypt. The country has been producing top players since the 1930s, and it is believed that former president Hosni Mubarak, a keen player himself, gave the sport a major boost in the 1990s. It has also been said that the current success is the result of an investment in the sport of Egyptian society as a whole.

References

^ "BBC Sport Academy | Al-Ahly v Zamalek". BBC News. 5 August 2002. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
^ "Al-Ahly – master of the world". Daily News Egypt. 11 December 2014. Archived from the original on 11 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
^ Futrell, Alison; Scanlon, Thomas Francis (2021). The Oxford Handbook of Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient World. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-959208-1.
^ Fadel, Doaa (2020-12-01). "Social Entertainment in Greco- Roman Egypt (Games and Sports)". Journal of Association of Arab Universities for Tourism and Hospitality. 19 (3): 1–34. doi:10.21608/jaauth.2021.54216.1103. ISSN 1687-1863.
^ Hamed Elhosary, Mahmoud (2024-12-31). "The Role of Sports in Social Communication in Ancient Egypt". مجـلة کلية الآثـار بقنا - جامعة جنوب الوادي. 19 (1): 18–57. doi:10.21608/mkaq.2024.299321.1139. ISSN 2090-8490.
^ Hübner, Emanuel (2021-03-27). "The Camel from Alexandria: Egyptian Sources of Ancient Sport*". The International Journal of the History of Sport. doi:10.1080/09523367.2020.1723551. ISSN 0952-3367.
^ Remijsen, Sofie (2013), "Greek Sport in Egypt", A Companion to Sport and Spectacle in Greek and Roman Antiquity, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp. 347–363, doi:10.1002/9781118609965.ch23, ISBN 978-1-118-60996-5, retrieved 2025-05-19
^ AfricaNews (2021-05-11). "Egyptian boxers train hard for Olympics, hope to win medals". Africanews. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
^ "Continental Cup Finals start in Africa". FIVB. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.

[1] "BBC Sport Academy | Al-Ahly v Zamalek". BBC News. 5 August 2002. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2010.

[2] "Al-Ahly – master of the world". Daily News Egypt. 11 December 2014. Archived from the original on 11 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.

[3] Futrell, Alison; Scanlon, Thomas Francis (2021). The Oxford Handbook of Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient World. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-959208-1.

[4] Fadel, Doaa (2020-12-01). "Social Entertainment in Greco- Roman Egypt (Games and Sports)". Journal of Association of Arab Universities for Tourism and Hospitality. 19 (3): 1–34. doi:10.21608/jaauth.2021.54216.1103. ISSN 1687-1863.

[5] Hamed Elhosary, Mahmoud (2024-12-31). "The Role of Sports in Social Communication in Ancient Egypt". مجـلة کلية الآثـار بقنا - جامعة جنوب الوادي. 19 (1): 18–57. doi:10.21608/mkaq.2024.299321.1139. ISSN 2090-8490.

[6] Hübner, Emanuel (2021-03-27). "The Camel from Alexandria: Egyptian Sources of Ancient Sport*". The International Journal of the History of Sport. doi:10.1080/09523367.2020.1723551. ISSN 0952-3367.

[7] Remijsen, Sofie (2013), "Greek Sport in Egypt", A Companion to Sport and Spectacle in Greek and Roman Antiquity, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp. 347–363, doi:10.1002/9781118609965.ch23, ISBN 978-1-118-60996-5, retrieved 2025-05-19

[8] AfricaNews (2021-05-11). "Egyptian boxers train hard for Olympics, hope to win medals". Africanews. Retrieved 2025-05-02.

[9] "Continental Cup Finals start in Africa". FIVB. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.

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