Egyptian judoka Safaa Suleiman achieved an unprecedented feat by winning the silver medal at the European Open Championships in Ljubljana.
The Egyptian delegation celebrated this historic achievement on Saturday, highlighting Suleiman’s second-place finish at the senior level, despite being only 19.
The rising star is part of the National Project for Talent and Olympic Champions.
Minister of Youth and Sports, Gawhar Nabil, contacted the President of the Egyptian Judo Federation, Mohamed Mutie, and Suleiman herself to congratulate her on the accomplishment.
The minister expressed his delight at the medal win, stating that the political leadership strongly supports the discovery and nurturing of athletically gifted individuals to cultivate a new generation that can compete on the international stage.
He explained that Suleiman’s achievement at the age of 19 in a senior world championship showcases that Egypt possesses a distinguished generation of athletes capable of competing at high levels.
The head of the federation confirmed that Suleiman’s achievements are the result of effort and preparation according to a strategy that relies on paying attention to young athletes and preparing them for the 2028 and 2032 Olympics.
He said that Suleiman’s first achievement was finishing seventh in Africa, and the federation had confidence in her ability to develop and improve both her physical and technical skills, which paid off.
Mutie noted that the athlete succeeded in winning fifth place in the over 78 kg weight category at the Grand Slam tournament in Japan, one of the strongest tournaments in the world.
The athlete’s efforts culminated in winning the silver medal at the World Championships after fierce competition; she was close to gold but lost due to a yellow card.
Young champion
Mutie said that Safa is a young player, and they will work on preparing her for an Olympic medal, hopefully to be achieved in the next Olympics.
He pointed out that Egyptian judo is progressing well towards regaining its place among the world’s elite.
Suleiman expressed her happiness at winning, noting that she was close to gold, but that tough competitions are decided in moments and by mistakes.
The young champion affirmed that she hopes to celebrate winning an Olympic medal in the future. She expressed her happiness at all the attention and congratulations, and promised that she will work to repay this support by reaching the podium.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
