The guessing games

Egyptian athletes believe they can win at least 20 medals in the Mediterranean Games in Tunisia. As Inas Mazhar reports, history might prove them right
Egypt began its quest for, in the estimation of its athletes, no less than 20 medals as the Mediterranean Games got under way in Tunisia on Monday.
Egypt enters the two-week tournament with 60 male and 19 female athletes competing in 10 sports. They have vowed to win 23 medals to be exact, including eight in weightlifting, four in wrestling and three in karate. A few more could come from rowing, athletics, boxing, judo and gymnastics but there is no certainty. Following the retirement of Rania Elwani, a two gold medal winner in 1997, an honourable mention is the most to be hoped for from swimming.
Egypt's history in the Games implies the players could meet their target or even surpass the projected total of medals. The country has garnered 401 medals in the Games' history -- 96 gold, 144 silver and 161 bronze.
There will definitely be no medals won in team sports because there aren't any. For the first time Egypt will not be fielding any football, basketball, handball or volleyball squads.
Following an impressive opening ceremony on Sunday, the Games, due to end on 15 September, began in earnest the following day. Non-Mediterranean states Jordan and Andorra were invited as distinguished guests to the championship, this the 14th edition.
The Games were the brainchild of an Egyptian, Mahmoud Taher Pasha, former president of the Egyptian Olympic Committee, who dreamt of organising a mini-Olympics, once every four years, comprising countries which overlook the Mediterranean.
Alexandria was awarded the first Games in 1951. King Farouk of Egypt attended the opening ceremony which included 743 participants representing 10 countries. France took first place that year, followed by Italy while hosts Egypt finished third.
Tunisia hosts the Games for the second time; its first was in 1967. There were only 14 events then. Today, that figure has grown to 23, with 3,500 athletes representing 23 countries descending on Tunis and four other cities which are playing hosts.
A new Olympic village worth 500 million dinars has been built. The complex includes 1,000 fully equipped apartments which will accommodate more than 5,000 athletes, officials and guests. Another new facility is the 60,000-seat Olympic stadium. Called the 7th of November, it has three courts and 10 arenas for track and field and other sports in addition to two Olympic-sized swimming pools, one indoors, surrounded by 3,000 seats each.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the tournament is honouring an athlete from each nation. Veteran wrestler Mohamed Osman, winner of a silver medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics, is representing Egypt. Osman took part in the 1951 Games in Alexandria, the 1955 championship in Barcelona and in Beirut in 1959.
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