Mohamed Mostafa El-Shamy, wrestler, explained the reason for his escape from the Egyptian wrestling team delegation in Rome.
El-Shamy wrote on his Instagram account: "I apologize to my father and my family for everything that happened, and I never wanted to reach this stage. Wrestling has been and still is a big part of my life, as I started practicing it when I was 7 years old, and I lived for many years dreaming of raising the Egyptian flag and achieving an accomplishment that everyone will remember."
"Praise be to God, I was able to raise my country's flag in African championships and many international championships, and my biggest dream was to win an Olympic medal and reach the highest possible position in the sport I loved and lived my whole life for."
"But at a certain moment, I felt that my father was becoming tired, and that life had become difficult for him, and since I am the eldest of my siblings, it was necessary for someone to sacrifice and take on the responsibility."
"I apologize again to my father and my family, and I apologize to everyone who stood by my side, helped me, and supported me in my journey, and I will never forget anyone's support for me, but against my will, I found myself having grown up, and I no longer know how to ask my father for anything. The support I receive does not enable me to live a dignified life, and I need to secure myself, my future, and my life, and this is not available."
"It had to happen, because if I were to suffer, God forbid, an injury, or stop practicing wrestling, I would not find support after all the achievements I have accomplished. The path may have changed, and the dream may have been postponed, but the dream itself still exists."
"And God willing, I will return to complete my journey, raise my country's flag again, and try to achieve the dream I have not been able to achieve yet. With a simple calculation, if I continue for another 15 years in the same position I am in now, I will not even be able to buy an apartment to get married in."
The Ministry of Youth and Sports decided to refer the incident of wrestler Mohamed Mostafa El-Shamy's escape during the transit of the Egyptian wrestling delegation in Rome to the Public Prosecution to take whatever legal measures it deems appropriate, as the incident of wrestler Ziad Haggag's escape during the World Youth Wrestling Championship in Slovakia was also referred to the Public Prosecution.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports stated in an official statement that this is a step confirming that sporting achievement does not exempt one from responsibility, and that representing Egypt in international forums is linked to full compliance with regulations and rules.
The Egyptian Olympic Committee had decided to suspend Ibrahim Adel El-Attar, head of the wrestling delegation at the Mediterranean Games, and refer him to the Ethics Committee, following the incident of wrestler Mohamed Mostafa El-Shamy's escape during the transit of the wrestling delegation in Rome, on the return trip to Cairo after the end of the Mediterranean Games competitions.
This makes Mohamed Mostafa El-Shamy the second wrestler to escape from the Egyptian delegation in two different championships in less than 3 days.
The statement of the Ministry of Youth and Sports was as follows:
"In a step confirming that sporting achievement does not exempt one from responsibility, and that representing Egypt in international forums is linked to full compliance with regulations and rules, the Ministry of Youth and Sports decided to refer the incident of wrestler Mohamed Mostafa Ali El-Shamy's escape during the transit of the Egyptian wrestling delegation in Rome to the Public Prosecution to take whatever legal measures it deems appropriate, as the incident of wrestler Ziad Haggag's escape during the World Youth Wrestling Championship in Slovakia was also referred to the Public Prosecution.
These measures come in light of the ministry's concern to deal decisively with any incidents affecting the regularity of Egyptian delegations during their external participations, and to determine legal and administrative responsibilities, while emphasizing not to anticipate the results of investigations or issue pre-judgments against any party.
The Egyptian Olympic Committee had decided to suspend Ibrahim Adel El-Attar, head of the wrestling delegation, and refer him to the Ethics Committee, after preliminary investigations revealed negligence, carelessness, and shortcoming in monitoring one of the delegation members.
The details of El-Shamy's incident go back to the wrestling delegation leaving Taranto airport for Rome with all its members, before stopping for a transit to complete the return trip to Cairo. During the transit, the head of the delegation was supposed to keep the delegation's passports in his possession, which he did not do, before the player's coach noticed his absence and tried to catch up with him, but the attempt was unsuccessful, and the coach was forced to miss the flight, while El-Shamy managed to leave the delegation's vicinity.
As for the incident of Ziad Haggag, the Ministry of Youth and Sports had previously directed the Egyptian Wrestling Federation to take legal measures and investigate the incident, and prepare and submit a detailed report to the ministry regarding the circumstances of the player's escape during his participation in the World Youth Championship in Slovakia, before referring the incident to the Public Prosecution.
At the same time, the ministry emphasizes that these incidents do not diminish the great sporting achievement achieved by Egyptian wrestling at the Mediterranean Games, after it succeeded in winning seven medals, namely two golds for Samer Hamza and Mohamed Hassan, two silvers for Mohamed Farag and Abdel Rahman Haitham, and three bronzes for Mouda Badawi, Mostafa Hussein, and Shahab El-Din Abdel Raouf, while El-Shamy was eliminated in the preliminary rounds.
Here, the ministry puts things in their proper place:
The wrestling achievement is credited to its champions.. and the shortcoming is the responsibility of those in charge.
It is not permissible for medals to become a cover that hides any flaw, nor is it permissible for an individual incident to become a judgment on an entire delegation that created an achievement worthy of praise.
Representing Egypt is a responsibility before it is an honor, and the sports delegation is a system with rules and responsibilities, and everyone who holds an administrative position in it bears their full duty, during competitions and after their end, until the last member returns to the homeland.
Seven medals created the joy of Egyptian wrestling in Taranto.. and two incidents clouded the scene.. but the most important message came clearly:
Achievement does not protect shortcoming.. and a medal does not exempt from responsibility.. and the law alone determines where responsibility begins and where it ends."
