Lama Elshawarby, a former captain of the women's handball team, has rallied her teammates in a campaign to secure the same rights and opportunities afforded to their male counterparts. Through the social media campaign '#wearethechampions' ('Ehna el abtal'), the players have highlighted a pattern of injustice, neglect, and empty vows from the Federation. They argue that this lack of support has effectively sidelined them from international competition, a crisis compounded by the fact that those born in 1998 and 2000 are no longer eligible for U-19 play.
The athletes have laid out two specific requirements for the Egyptian Handball Federation. Primarily, they are calling for the creation of a senior women's national team, which would allow them to compete at the professional adult level. Additionally, they are seeking a regulated system for club contracts and the introduction of a transfer market. The goal here is to encourage more movement within the domestic league, which they believe is the only way to elevate the standard of play across the board.
The drive for change was launched by Al Ahly goalkeeper and former captain Lama Elshawarby. According to Elshawarby, players who previously represented Egypt in youth categories have spent two years pleading with the federation to honor its promises and form a senior women's squad. These athletes are highly accomplished, having secured gold at the African Championship and a bronze medal at the 2015 Mediterranean U18 Championship in Tunisia. However, now that they have passed the age of 20, they find themselves in a professional limbo, unable to represent their nation in any official tournaments.
Beyond the federation, the players are also struggling with restrictive club environments. They describe feeling trapped by their current contracts, noting that without a transfer market, clubs hold absolute power over their careers. Mona Amin, a member of the EHF board, has emerged as a key ally, advocating for the creation of the senior national team from within the federation's own administration. Despite Amin presenting these demands to the board last week, the proposal was unfortunately turned down.
The campaign has struck a chord with the general public and has attracted endorsements from some of Egypt's most prominent athletes. Supporters include squash icons Ramy Ashour and Nour El Sherbini, footballers such as Sheriff Ekramy, Osama, and Ahmed, as well as star swimmer Farida Osman.