Egyptian sports over the past five years have witnessed a noticeable rise in cases of serious injuries and sudden deaths among athletes across different games, which has opened a wide door of questions about the reasons behind this phenomenon and the extent of the sports system’s readiness to protect its players. At a time when most deaths are attributed to acute cardiac problems that were not discovered early, the facts reveal that negligence and weak follow-up of medical examinations were a common factor in many cases.

Medical screening… a stamped paper instead of a line of defense

Although sports federations rushed to impose mandatory medical screening as a basic condition for registering players, this measure in many cases did not go beyond routine—whether on the part of clubs, parents, or even some medical entities. Instead of the medical check becoming a gateway to ensuring athletes’ safety, it has, for some, turned into merely a form that is completed quickly. Many parents look for participation and winning before their children’s health, while some medical centers settle for superficial examinations that do not detect serious heart diseases that may threaten the player’s life on the field.

Painful incidents… athletes left before their dreams were complete

Amid this reality, Egyptian sports were shocked by painful incidents that left a deep impact in the sports community. The latest was the death of swimmer Youssef Mohamed, a 12-year-old player of El Zohour Club, who passed away during the races of the Cairo Region swimming championship in a devastating incident for the sports family and the Egyptian street, which raised questions again about the efficiency of rescue teams and the preparedness of swimming pools. The death report confirmed that the deceased arrived at the hospital with the heart muscle stopped and without breathing before reaching the hospital, and during cardiopulmonary resuscitation attempts the heart stopped four times, then he passed away, and the ministry, as usual in similar cases, rushed to open an investigation and refer the case to the Public Prosecution; and this incident was not the first and will not be the last.

Football player Ahmed Refaat passed away at the age of thirty-one after a sudden heart crisis that later revealed an undiscovered defect in the coronary artery. Likewise, the player Mohamed Shouky fell unconscious during a match, and attempts to save him did not succeed due to the absence of adequate medical equipment in the stadium. The scene was repeated in other sports as well, as the karate community lost the young player Youssef Ahmed Mostafa after a strong injury that put him into a coma. Women’s sports were not far from these tragedies either, as the young volleyball player Jana Ehab passed away in an incident that revived the debate about health follow-up for young female athletes.

Missing equipment and delayed rescue in decisive moments

In most of these incidents, one complaint repeats: the absence of basic medical equipment. Some stadiums do not have cardiac resuscitation devices, and ambulances at many matches are equipped in a traditional way that does not allow dealing with emergency cases. Coaches and officials speak about a shortage of trained medical staff, and about great pressures imposed on players in daily training and competitions, which raises the likelihood of exposure to cardiac crises or serious injuries.

New regulations… modest implementation

In an attempt to contain the problem, sports federations in recent years issued several regulations obligating clubs to conduct comprehensive periodic examinations, provide medical devices, and train staff in first aid. However, the actual implementation of these regulations is still uneven from one club to another and from one federation to another, especially in lower-division competitions or local tournaments that lack resources and financial capabilities.

Shared responsibility… and losses that cannot be compensated

With every death or serious injury, voices rise demanding accountability for those who fall short, yet reality confirms that responsibility is shared. Clubs bear part of the negligence, federations are required to follow up on implementation strictly, coaches must protect their players from excessive pressure, and parents are required to place their children’s health above any championship. Even medical institutions must deal with the examination as a rescue operation, not a paper to be stamped.

Fixing the system is a duty… before we lose a new player

In the end, these incidents remain an alarm bell that must not be ignored. The young person who goes out to training should not return wrapped in a shroud, and sport should not turn from a space for dreaming into a space for loss. The passing of the young swimmer Youssef Mohamed, like the passing of those before him, was a painful message that the flaw is systemic, and that reform is no longer an option but an urgent duty, before a game, a training session, or a championship shocks us with a new loss that can be prevented.

Wake up, may God have mercy on you.

Written by
Dr. Hamada Al-Antabli