The Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports has referred the defection of wrestler Mohamed Mustafa Ali El-Shami during a transit layover in Rome to the Public Prosecution for legal action. A separate case involving wrestler Ziad Haggag, who defected during the World Junior Wrestling Championships in Slovakia, has also been forwarded to prosecutorial authorities.
Following preliminary investigations indicating negligence and inadequate supervision of delegation members, the Egyptian Olympic Committee suspended Ibrahim Adel Ibrahim Mustafa Al-Attar, head of the wrestling delegation, and referred him to the Ethics Committee.
The circumstances surrounding El-Shami’s defection began when the full delegation departed Taranto for Rome, where they were scheduled for a transit layover en route to Cairo. During the layover, El-Shami managed to slip away from the group. Although the delegation leader attempted to retrieve the athlete, the effort failed, prompting the team coach to stay behind in Rome while the rest of the team returned home.
Regarding Ziad Haggag, the Ministry had previously instructed the Egyptian Wrestling Federation to initiate an inquiry, prepare a detailed report on the circumstances of his disappearance in Slovakia, and take appropriate legal measures prior to the matter being handed over to the Public Prosecution.
Despite these disciplinary actions, ministry officials emphasized that the incidents should not overshadow Egypt’s strong performance at the Mediterranean Games. The national wrestling team secured seven medals at the event—including gold medals for Samar Hamza and Mohamed Hassan, silver medals for Mohamed Farag and Abdel Rahman Haitham, and bronze medals for Mawaddah Badawi, Mustafa Hussein, and Shehab El-Din Abdel Raouf. El-Shami was eliminated during the preliminary rounds.
