2 Egyptian weightlifters win gold and silver medals in 2016 Paralympics

Egyptian weightlifters Sherif Othman and Rehab Ahmed won Egypt’s first two gold and silver medals at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, taking place from 7-19 September.

Othman, who won the gold medal for lifting 59 kilograms, broke his own record on Friday, to win his third gold medal in the Paralympic championships. He is the only Paralympic weightlifter to break two world records in two different weight categories.

Ahmed won Egypt’s first silver medal in the 50-kilogram category on Saturday.

Egypt has participated in the Paralympics since 1972, winning a total of 165 medals, including 46 gold medals, 59 silver and 60 bronze until the London 2012 Paralympics.

Three Egyptian champions won three bronze medals in the Rio 2016 Olympics this summer, including weightlifters Sara Samir and Mohamed Ehab, as well as Hedaya Malak, who won bronze in taekwondo.

Egyptian Olympic and Paralympic champions have decried a lack of state support. Samir was unable to take her high school exams due to preparations for the Olympics, and was not allowed to resit.

“We asked if Sara could postpone her exams until the Olympics ended, but no one listened to our pleas. She got her certificate today with fail grades in all subjects. We got the certificate a few hours before she won. Sara’s reward this year is failing her exams,” her brother Mohamed said in a television interview.

Ehab, who is also employed in a state-owned electricity company, said he was poorly paid. “In 2014 I won one silver and two bronze medals in the World Championship. I only received LE150,000 for the silver medal and 25 percent of the original payment for the other two medals, because they cannot pay a single athlete the complete compensation, which I believe is unfair,” he told CBC television channel.

“When someone falls in our country, no one rescues him,” Ehab said. “I stayed for two years without any financial support. Officials spend millions, but Olympic athletes do not get the appreciation they deserve. I get LE2,000 per month.”