The Gezirah Championship for Rhythmic Gymnastics recently concluded its competitions, which were held over the course of a few days.
Competition between the participating clubs was fierce, featuring 370 female rhythmic gymnasts from 10 different clubs, including several from Cairo, such as Al-Gezirah Sporting Club, Wadi Degla Sporting Club, Maadi Club, Al-Zohour Club, the Shooting Club, and Heliopolis Sporting Club. It also featured clubs from Alexandria, such as Smouha Sporting Club, Ittihad Alexandria Club and the Egyptian Olympic Athletes Club.
Al-Gezirah won the most medals thanks to the superb leadership of Noha Abdel-Wehab, Vice-President of the Technical Committee for Rhythmic Gymnastics at the International Federation for Rhythmic Gymnastics, Head of the Technical Committee for Rhythmic Gymnastics and Technical Consultant for Al-Gezirah Sporting Club.
Al-Gezirah’s female junior gymnasts (ages six to 16) took home 18 gold medals, 12 silver and five bronze.
Ranking second was Smouha Sporting Club winning 13 gold medals, 11 silver and eight bronze. Wadi Degla Sporting Club’s female gymnasts won eight gold medals, seven silver and six bronze.
Under the leadership of Russian coach Aala, ballet coach Hany Hassan, and coaches Sarah Ismail and Mayar Ragab, the under-16 gymnasts from the Egyptian National Rhythmic Gymnastics’ team participated in the teams’ competitions winning first place. The team included Farida Nadir, Tia Dia, Nermine Khaled Malak Sherif, Hana Nader, Yara Ihab, Salma Khaled and Nagham El-Shorafa.
The team’s over-16 group also won first place. Moreover, Egypt’s female over-16 gymnasts qualified for the 2014 Winter Olympics, held in the Russian city of Sochi.
This is the first time the Gezirah Championship for Rhythmic Gymnastics has been held, and according to Noha Abdel-Wehab it will not be the last. It has been agreed that the championship will be held on an annual basis, and that beginning next year, the championship will invite international female rhythmic gymnasts to compete.
Noha Abdel-Wehab commented: “It is vital that our gymnasts compete against international gymnasts, in order to improve their performance, whether for the teams individually.”
“It is essential that we continue to hold these championships, so that our gymnasts gain confidence and experience in competitive gymnastics. As for the coaches, these competitions allow them to note the weak and strong points of their gymnasts and help them to improve for future competitions,” she added.
The championship saw the participation and support of the Rhythmic Gymnastics’ Technical Committee of the Egyptian Federation.
