Egypt has claimed gold medals in the UIPM 2024 Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships running through 7-16 June in Zhengzhou, China, where more than 700 aspiring world champions from 52 nations are competing.
The African Challenge has Egypt claiming gold medals, thanks to Aly Aboelfetouh in the U17 category, Mark Labib in the U13, Aly and Hamza Sobhy in the U11, and Sohail Abo Auf in the U9.
The U17 gold medallist Aboelfetouh said: “It’s great to be back on the podium and great to participate in another World Championships. I’m looking to the future and this year I have the U17 Pentathlon World Championships and I hope to do well. My big goal and big aim is Dakar 2026, to participate in the Youth Olympics.
“If you do something you really love, you have to be passionate about it and you have to make your own sacrifices. That’s life.
“I’m actually very happy but also sad because my Mom isn’t next to me at this World Championships – but she is watching me on TV with a big smile on her face. Thank you Mom for your sacrifices – love you.”
The Egyptian champion in the Under 13 category is Mark Abra’am Mossaad Sadek Labib; he won gold in the running and shooting competitions.
Mark proved that willpower and hard work yield fantastic results. He won at Zhengzhou despite emerging from a deplorable previous year during which he suffered injuries, tiredness, and frustration.
In July 2023, Mark broke his right hand, the one he uses to shoot, critically injuring a bone and needing surgery. His hand was put in a cast and he under went treatment, thus halting his training.
Two months later, the young champion suffered another fracture, this time in his left leg and was initially treated with a wrong splint, then corrected and put in a cast for two weeks. His period of no-training was thus extended.
After Mark’s fractures healed and he returned to training, he took part in a championship but he lost, causing him a lot of upset and frustration.
However, Mark came back strong, kept training daily, and pushed himself, managing to become the world champion in modern pentathlon.
At Zhengzhou, Mark said: “This is my entire season in Pentathlon, and I love this medal – I am so happy. My shooting was five out of five – all of them. And I ran so good – the first, second and third laps were all good.
“In the first two laps there were a lot of people ahead of me, but in the third lap I got in front of them all. I want to thank my parents for taking me to training, especially for swimming early in the mornings.”
Watani International
9 June 2024