The hot summer is not alone; there too has been heated Egyptian sports issues. Nashwa Abdel-Tawab talks with the head of the sports body on what is being done to cool things down Mossad came to the job as head of the sports body, the second highest sports post in the country, almost seven months ago. It has been almost one crisis after the other ever since. would have retired this month but was given a six-month extension partly because of the upcoming African Cup of Nations that Egypt is hosting in January, and because of pending issues that need resolution. "This summer was very busy. There was no rest," told Al-Ahram Weekly from his office in Mohandiseen. "We were flooded with unprecedented disputes that needed decisions." 's list of problem areas is long: live TV transmission of league soccer matches, handball and Zamalek club, most notably its president. No decision has yet been taken on whether league soccer matches should be subscribed to on satellite instead of public TV. The Egyptian Radio and Television Union seeks 50 per cent of the ads in soccer matches while the other 50 per cent goes to the clubs. However, the clubs are not buying, calling it unfair since, as they see it, they are the ones who bring in ads. Last year, big clubs like Ahli and Zamalek pulled in around LE370,000 a match. This year the amount will increase but the clubs want more as well as the ability to sell their matches to satellite channels. Violence ranked high on the agenda. The president of Misri Club Sayed Metwali physically assaulted a referee in the clubhouse in June after protesting his decisions. And in unprecedented lawlessness, Zamalek club was raided by hooligans in July who brandished knives and guns as part of an ongoing feud between the club's president Mortada Mansour and his deputy Ismail Selim. On both issues, no action has been taken. Mansour had made earlier headlines -- and caused headaches for the sports establishment -- after verbally attacking the Handball Federation and its president Hassan Mustafa. The provocation came during a league game. Taking the matter one step further, in the cup final, Mansour appeared in the main tribune ignoring a decision taken by the federation to ban him from attending any of his team's matches indefinitely. On seeing him, the referees stopped play and asked Mansour to leave the stadium. He refused and instead came out onto the court carrying a cup that he borrowed from Zamalek. He then proceeded to wave the trophy to Zamalek supporters and had photographers take group pictures of him and the team. For what the Egyptian Handball Federation (EHF) considered several violations, it took the controversial decision to suspend the membership of Zamalek Club. There would be no more handball team and its players would be sent to other clubs. The EHF decision raised a storm of protest and of course, landed on the desk of the authorities. Just this week the issue was resolved. Mansour sent a written apology to the EHF and its president. Mustafa, on the other hand, announced he will call for an extraordinary general assembly at the end of this month to lift the ban on the club. In the elections at the Egyptian Football Association (EFA), quick action was needed to avoid being penalised by FIFA. Several clubs had petitioned to FIFA claiming there was under representation in the EFA. The number of members of the general assembly of the EFA was in consequence from 40 to 83. Minister of Youth Mamdouh El-Biltagui has formed a committee of wise men to try to bridge the gap between the warring sides. The committee includes president of the Egyptian Olympic Committee Munir Thabet, ex-head of the Sports Body Abdel-Aziz El-Shafei, president of the Shooting Club Hussein Sabbour, radio announcer Fahmi Omar, president of the Egyptian Football Association Samir Zaher and Ahli board member Ibrahim El-Moallem. "I don't think the issues are being handled weakly," said. "These were reasonable solutions. We have to be sensible because aggressive decisions won't change anything as much as make them worse. The ideal way is to use diplomacy. "Mansour pushed everyone to the extreme and took so many issues to court. Such behaviour is abnormal in Egypt since most issues are solved within clubs and federations. "We are solving issues between people because the club and sports in general are at stake." The other issues will be solved over time, claimed. "If the Zamalek handball team had been dissolved by the federation, then war would have broken out. Now there's peace again, especially for the sake of Zamalek players." The committee also suggested that sports officials should not go to court to solve disputes. Things, it said, should be solved within the federations and clubs and, as a last resort, the sports body, which has the final say.
