Egyptian wrestlers keep vanishing abroad amid a sport in crisis

What the report says

Egypt is facing fresh scrutiny after two young wrestlers, Ziad Hajjaj Abu Gabal and Mohamed al-Shami, disappeared while abroad with national teams, prompting both sympathy online and possible legal action at home. Al Jazeera reported that Hajjaj, 19, left the Egyptian camp at the Under-20 World Wrestling Championships in Slovakia, while al-Shami, 23, went missing during a team transit in Rome after the Mediterranean Games in Italy. Both later posted on Facebook describing financial pressure and saying they felt driven to leave in order to build better lives.

The reporting places their cases within a wider pattern of Egyptian wrestlers who have stayed overseas or switched allegiance in recent years, including Ahmed Baghdouda, Tarek Abdel Salam, Ibrahim Ghanem and Mohamed Ibrahim el-Sayed, known as Kishu. Several athletes cited low pay, debt, weak medical protection and uncertainty about life after injury or retirement. A former wrestler told Al Jazeera that younger athletes can earn only a very small monthly stipend, while older internationals may receive more depending on results.

Egypt’s Ministry of Youth and Sports referred the two missing athletes to prosecutors, and the national Olympic committee also opened an ethics review involving a wrestling official. Federation representatives defended the system, saying support exists through camps, accommodation and bonuses, while critics argued that limited oversight and poor administration are central problems. The episode highlights deeper tensions in Egyptian sport, especially in less commercial disciplines, over how athletes are supported during and after competition.