Youth Olympics: Idris praises Egypt’s rising stars after eighth medal

Yasser Idris, president of the Egyptian Olympic Committee and vice-president of the International Swimming Federation, has congratulated Youssef Hassan after his taekwondo gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.

Hassan won the under-48kg title by beating his French opponent 2-0, securing Egypt’s eighth medal of the competition. His victory continued an impressive run for the Egyptian delegation and delivered the country’s fifth gold medal.

“I congratulate Youssef Hassan on this great achievement and Egypt’s eighth medal in Dakar,” Idris said in an official statement. “I also extend my appreciation and pride to all our male and female athletes who are raising Egypt’s name at this Olympic event.”

Idris said the results represented more than a collection of medals, describing them as evidence of talent, determination and sustained work.

“What is being achieved here is not simply about medals, but the product of talent, persistence and continuous effort,” he said. “It is a message confirming that Egyptian sport has promising generations capable of shaping the future and competing with the world’s champions.”

He also paid tribute to the technical and administrative staff, as well as the sporting federations and everyone involved in Egypt’s campaign.

“The value of this achievement does not stop at the number of medals,” Idris added. “It also extends to the variety of sports in which Egypt is succeeding, reflecting the breadth of the talent pool and the ability of Egyptian athletes to compete across different sporting disciplines.”

Egypt’s medal haul

Hassan’s gold is not Egypt’s only success in Dakar. Swimmer Zein Hesham has won three gold medals in the 100m, 50m and 200m butterfly events, providing one of the standout performances of the Games.

Sondos Sanbal also claimed a historic gold in wushu kung fu, becoming the first Egyptian to win a Youth Olympic medal in the sport. Ali El-Ramly added a bronze medal in the judo under-81kg category.

Egypt’s athletics campaign produced another bronze through Mohamed Ismail in the hammer throw, while Sara Amr Hosny won silver in the foil fencing event.

The latest result leaves Egypt with eight medals: five golds, one silver and two bronzes. The competition continues until 13 November.

Egypt are fourth in the medal table, behind China, Japan and Russia, with five gold medals, one silver and two bronze medals.

The Egyptian delegation comprises 45 male and female athletes competing in 19 sports: archery, artistic gymnastics, athletics, badminton, 3×3 basketball, beach wrestling, beach volleyball, boxing, beach rowing, cycling, equestrian, fencing, judo, swimming, triathlon, sailing, table tennis, taekwondo and wushu kung fu.

Idris said the performance had been supported by co-operation between the Egyptian Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, led by Minister of Youth and Sports Gawhar Nabil, to support athletes and provide suitable conditions for Egyptian talent to compete internationally. He said the campaign demonstrated the importance of partnership between sporting institutions in turning ambitions into achievements worthy of Egypt’s name.