The Egyptian delegation proudly celebrated its achievements at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, securing seven medals across 10 sports with the participation of 54 male and female athletes. However, the Aswan governorate’s athletes did not contribute to this triumph, as none participated or earned medals.
This event is not new, as Aswan’s athletes have been absent from previous Paralympic Games as well. This ongoing exclusion has left Doaa Jaber’s mother, whose daughter is an athletics competitor at the Aswan Special Needs Club, questioning when her daughter and other talented athletes from Aswan will receive the attention and support needed to realize their dream of competing in future Paralympics.
Temporary Headquarters
For the past four years, Iman Sayed, the mother of Doaa, has joined a group of mothers, spending approximately two hours inside the Badr Youth Center in the Al-Talbiya area in Aswan. This center, the temporary training site for the special needs club established ten years ago, allocates only half a field to their children while sharing the other half with private sports academies renting the space for their own players' training.
The athletic journey of 14-year-old Doaa Jaber, a runner with Down syndrome, began serendipitously following a bullying incident. "Immediately after Doaa was born, doctors discovered she had Down syndrome, along with ventricular septal defect and a weak immune system. These conditions prevented her from interacting with the outside world due to frequent stress, confining her mostly at home. However, over time she recovered and eventually was able to venture outdoors," Doaa's mother recalls.
A Tough Decision
Iman Sayed continued, "While taking her to a market, a woman's daughter harassed her, prompting Doaa to try to hit back. The girl's mother scolded me, saying: 'If you had a disabled child, why would you bring her out?'"
This poignant remark deeply affected Iman, who was then advised by a woman witnessing the incident to enroll her daughter in a sports club for people with disabilities to help her integrate and not feel ashamed of going out. Determined, Iman found a suitable club and joined the Aswan Special Needs Club.
The club, which caters to people with various disabilities—including motor disabilities such as polio, amputations, military injuries, or rib cage deformities, as well as the deaf, dwarves, those with mental disabilities, and the blind—was established in 1995. However, it still operates out of the Badr Youth Center in downtown Aswan due to its inability to secure the land allocated for it, even after 29 years.
Facilities Issue
Counselor Abdel Fattah Sulaiman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Special Needs Club, discussed the absence of a dedicated headquarters during his interview with "Ain Al-Aswani." He explained that, despite the decision by then-Governor Mostafa Al-Sayed in 2010 to allocate land for the club, the Ministry of Youth and Sports lacked the resources to commence construction. Consequently, the land was encroached upon, and houses were built on it.
Sulaiman confirmed that they had obtained a removal order but, due to ongoing construction delays, the land was encroached upon again, and three more houses were built. The Board of Directors has since submitted a memorandum to the governorate seeking assistance in recovering the land. Governor Ismail Kamal has promised to resolve the issue.
Duaa Gaber is among the 11% of people with disabilities in Egypt, out of a population of 110 million, according to a December 2023 press release by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics. In Aswan Governorate alone, there are approximately 165,114 people with disabilities aged five and above, as reported by the "Study in Human Rights" website of the General Authority for Inquiries.
Since joining the Special Needs Club, Duaa has competed in the Republic Championship for Athletics multiple times but has yet to win a medal, coming closest by securing third place in her last participation.
Lack of Rehabilitation
Duaa's mother highlights that the club's limited resources hinder her daughter's development, especially in championship races covering distances of 50 and 100 meters. The training pitch is shared with players from other clubs, which poses an additional challenge. On the positive side, the club charges a nominal subscription fee of 10 pounds annually, easing the financial burden on athletes' families.
Due to inadequate rehabilitation and quality training, Duaa's mother, along with other parents, initiated a special one-hour training program at the Aswan Sports Stadium, incurring an extra cost of 10 pounds by hiring a private trainer.
These additional private sessions are particularly crucial during championship preparations, as renting the stadium is not always possible and it is not equipped to accommodate athletes with disabilities. Moreover, mothers worry about potential bullying from other trainees at the stadium.
Who’s in charge?
Duaa's mother aspires to see the establishment of a dedicated facility for her daughter and other athletes with disabilities. This facility would feature a large stadium and a team of specialized trainers to help develop their skills. However, the reality remains challenging, as the Aswan Special Needs Club, established in 1995, is the only one of its kind in the governorate and still lacks a permanent headquarters.
Finding a responsible body for athletes with disabilities in Aswan Governorate has proven to be a difficult task. Saad Khalifa, Undersecretary of the Youth and Sports Directorate, explained in an interview with "Ain Al-Aswani" that the integration of people with disabilities into the sports field in Aswan is facilitated through the "Differently Abled" office, affiliated with the Ministry of Youth and Sports. This office targets members of youth centers in Aswan through various sports activities such as football, basketball for the deaf, athletics, and volleyball, in addition to artistic activities like theater, choir, and religious chanting.
Differently Abled
"The Differently Abled office currently includes between 500 and 600 members with various disabilities. It is open to anyone with disabilities wishing to join by coming to the directorate. We extend invitations through our advertisements on our official Facebook pages. The project aims to provide ongoing training capabilities, including trainers and tools," Khalifa elaborates.
Regarding the Youth and Sports Directorate's support for the Aswan Club for People with Special Needs, Khalifa stated that the directorate provides financial assistance to the club's management, ranging from 15,000 to 20,000 EGP annually, allocated to support the club's activities. This financial aid is separate from the support given to the Differently Abled project, as the club is considered independent and does not rely solely on the Youth and Sports Directorate's support.
In a statement made during a phone call in December 2022 on the Al-Haya Al-Youm program, broadcast on Al-Hayah channel, Amal Mobdi, head of the Egyptian Sports Federation for Mental Disabilities, explained that the ministry oversees more than 4,000 youth centers in various governorates across the republic. These centers are crucial for providing free training to people with disabilities. She also mentioned that there are 4,000 athletes with disabilities registered with the federation.
Allocation Crisis
Abdullah Hesham, 19, a player at the Aswan Special Needs Club, chose athletics and joined the club a year ago after his personal doctor advised his mother, Duaa Abdullah, to ensure he did not stay at home for extended periods. His condition had been diagnosed as autism with the presence of brain electrical activity. After trying various activities such as drawing and football, Abdullah found his passion in athletics.
His mother had struggled with managing his hyperactivity and difficulties adapting outside home for years. However, sports brought a significant change to his life, allowing him to channel his excess energy positively.
Duaa shared, "Initially, my son was hesitant to participate with his teammates at the club, but thanks to the coaches' support and the positive atmosphere, he fully integrated with them. Despite having three coaches, we have more trainers to provide individualized care for each player. It is important to have a dedicated pitch for people with disabilities, free from interference from other clubs' players, to ensure adequate training time and development.”
Worse Situation
While Abdullah's mother and the families of Aswan Special Needs Club players express their concerns, the club's athletes with disabilities enjoy relatively better opportunities compared to their peers in other sports and those from other centers in Aswan Governorate, such as Kom Ombo, Edfu, and Daraw.
Unlike Abdullah, who receives regular training, athletes from these other centers only train twice a month due to limited availability at their respective youth centers. In Edfu City, athletes only practice swimming, while volleyball players are distributed between Kom Ombo and Aswan, with qualifiers held to select ten players for championship participation.
This disparity in opportunities contradicts the principle of equality outlined in Law No. (10) of 2018 on the Rights of People with Disabilities. Article Four of the law emphasizes non-discrimination based on disability, type, or gender and ensures actual equality in all human rights and fundamental freedoms. It also calls for creating conditions and respecting differences to accept persons with disabilities as part of human diversity.
Various Activities
Despite the diverse range of sports activities offered by the Aswan Special Needs Club to its members aged 10 and above, the club's reach is limited. According to Abdel Fattah Sulaiman, Chairman of the Board of Directors, individuals with mental disabilities engage in athletics and table tennis, while those with motor disabilities participate in football, volleyball, swimming, and shot put. The blind engage in bell ball.
Sulaiman noted that the total number of individuals with disabilities actively participating in sports at the club is capped at 180 male and female players. The remaining club members are either not eligible to participate in sports or are too young but take part in the club's social and cultural activities, which include a singing choir, Qur’an memorization, and acting.
The seven sports available at the Aswan Club for People with Special Needs are among the 21 sports overseen by the Paralympic Federation. These sports are practiced by 10,000 male and female athletes in Egypt who are registered with the Paralympic Committee, according to a statement released by the committee in June 2023.
Deprived of Support
In a significant show of governmental support for sports for people with disabilities, the Ministry of Youth and Sports announced in June 2024 that Dr. Ashraf Sobhi, the Minister of Youth and Sports, approved the disbursement of 7 million EGP. This financial aid is aimed at the Paralympic Committee, Paralympic Federations, and Disability Committees within the Olympic Federations qualifying for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
However, the Aswan Special Needs Club continues to require additional support and attention to ensure its members have the same opportunities as athletes in other governorates. Although the Aswan branch of the Differently Abled project has been open to people with disabilities since 2014, it has yet to introduce any athletes ready for regional or international competitions.
Hanem Fathy, Director of the Differently Abled Office in Aswan, elaborated on the office's mission to "Ain Al-Aswani," explaining, "the office serves as a foundation for the Ministry of Youth and Sports, providing people with disabilities access to various activities. By teaching them different sports, we aim to prepare them for competitions within Egypt, representing the Ministry of Youth and Sports."
Without Federation
Regarding regional and international representation, Hanem Fathy explained that the tournaments sector does not communicate with the office to organize athlete participation, as federations directly address the clubs, and the office does not liaise with the federations.
"As a result, we do not receive invitations for our players to participate in these tournaments. The alternative solution is for athletes to join a club that can include them in the tournaments, allowing them to start their sports careers and achieve results that will qualify them for international competitions. For example, some bell ball athletes have chosen to join a club in Aswan to practice the sport and develop their skills," She added.
Hanem Fathy attributed the lack of international representation by athletes from Aswan to the governorate's remote location. This distance makes it less likely for federations to focus on discovering and supporting sports talents in the region, ultimately impacting the athletes' chances of joining national teams and participating in the Paralympics.
