Zain Hesham’s mother praises swimming federation after three Dakar Youth Olympic golds

Nouran Mohamed, the mother of Egyptian swimmer Zain Hesham, has praised the Egyptian Swimming Federation for backing her son’s ability after he won three gold medals at the Dakar Youth Olympic Games.

Hesham’s achievements account for three of Egypt’s four medals at the Games so far. His results also represent a historic, unprecedented individual accomplishment for the swimmer.

Mohamed thanked the federation in a post on her personal account, saying: “I would like to thank the Swimming Federation for believing in my son’s talent and insisting that he represent Egypt in swimming at the Youth Olympic Games.”

She added that Hesham had also been confirmed as a member of the senior national team and would compete at the upcoming World Championships in China.

“I would also like to thank the Olympic Committee for the attention it gave my son during the Games and for providing him with the means of comfort,” she said.

Hesham secured gold in the 100m butterfly and 50m butterfly before adding victory in the 200m butterfly. Those results gave him three titles at the event and strengthened Egypt’s medal tally in Dakar.

Egypt is competing at the Games with a delegation of 45 athletes across 19 sports. The team is without some of the disciplines in which the country has traditionally been a strong competitor.

For Hesham, however, the competition has produced a landmark sequence of results. After claiming gold in the 100m and 50m butterfly events, he completed his individual haul by winning the 200m title.

The swimmer’s performances have also led to his inclusion with Egypt’s senior team and a place at the next World Championships in China, as confirmed by his mother.