Egypt failed to win a single match at the International Hockey Challenge Championship it hosted earlier this month in Alexandria, reports Inas Mazhar Six teams took part in the one-week event at Semouha Club. Argentina, South Korea, Belgium, England, South Africa and Egypt played a round-robin tournament eventually won by Argentina which registered five straight victories. The Latin Americans beat their main rival South Korea 5-2 in the final. Belgium claimed third place by beating Britain 6-5 and South Africa placed fifth after beating Egypt 5-2. The home team finished last. Despite the results, Mohamed Shahine, president of the Egyptian Hockey Federation, said the tournament was a success. "Egypt didn't win but it was an experience. We got the opportunity to play with the world's top teams and we will definitely learn from these mistakes," he said. The championship was attended by Elissa Van Breida, president of the International Hockey Federation and Claire Degby, International Hockey Federation's development committee head. Van Breida praised the organisation of the event as well as the teams' performances, and the referees. Van Breida, who visited Egypt twice before, in 1982 and 1999 when she was international federation vice president, said Egypt had proved its ability to organise a major hockey event, and that it could host a world championship if it applied. However, she added that a World Cup was not just facilities and capability of organisation but crowds, too. "The international federation looks at the popularity of the sport in the organising nation," Van Breida said, adding that Egypt needed to repair Cairo Stadium because the World Cup hosts 16 teams and one stadium would not be enough. Van Breida said the Semouha hockey stadium was the best in Egypt, an opinion the International Federation's inspection committee, who came to check facilities when Egypt asked for the event, agreed with. She said the inspection committee had found Cairo Stadium in bad condition but that Semouha was described as a world class hockey pitch. On the sidelines of the tournament, Van Breida met with the secretary-general of the Algerian Hockey Federation Mohamed Kheirallah. Algeria will host the All-Africa Games in 2007. Van Breida promised to support the Algerians by sending technical equipment and Egyptian coaches to assist Algeria's Spanish coach in forming two national teams in Algeria for men and women to compete in 2007. According to Mohamed Shahine, president of the Egyptian Hockey Federation, the international federation also promised to assist in constructing a hockey stadium in Kenya. Shahine said Egypt had received 2,000 euros from the international federation and announced that the Egyptians were promised 20,000 euros more if it presented a plan to develop and spread hockey in Egypt in terms of players, coaches, referees and pitches.
