Mohamed Sanad, who plays for USAM Nimes of France, has been a key player in his handball club's 18 league games played in this abruptly shortened season, scoring 85 goals. The 29-year-old Egyptian winger helped his side to a third-place finish with 26 points, nine behind Paris Saint Germain (PSG) who were crowned champions after the league was cancelled due to the coronavirus. Interestingly, PSG's football team were also the winners of the football league as they were leading when the country suspended all sports activities in March because of the pandemic. Sanad, who plays for Egypt, took to the official page of his team to reflect on him being named the best right winger in the 2020 French Handball Lidl Starlique's all-star team of the season. In a video, he said that he found it a great honour to be picked the competition's best right winger. “It is so valuable as I earned it from other superstars in the same position in the French league. The competition wasn't easy. It was very tough,” he said. Sanad, standing 1.91cm, received more votes than two other players vying for the title, taking 43 per cent of the vote in an online tally on the club's Facebook page. “I thank all those who have contributed to my success and supported me to reach this high level of performance: my family, wife and my club's handball family -- coaches, players, officials and fans. “This award is a result of three years of hard work with my team Nimes. I am looking forward to a better season next year after sports returns to normal and hopefully after the pandemic ends so we can go back to training.” Sanad joined Nimes in July 2018 from Spanish club Balonmano Cuidad de Logrono. He is also a key player with Egypt, playing a significant role in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro despite Egypt's elimination in the last 16. He then helped Egypt win the African Championships earlier this year which took the country to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. The Olympics were scrubbed this year because of the coronavirus and will be held in the summer of 2021. *A version of this article appears in print in the 4 June, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
