Largest Egyptian delegation to date gets ready for Rio Olympics
The 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro kicks off on August 5, with 122 Egyptian competitors across 20 games, constituting the largest Olympic delegation in Egyptian history.
Although the Opening Ceremony is due to start at 8 pm Brazil time, the time difference makes it 1 am in Egypt.
The Egyptian delegation is made up of 83 men and 36 women, including swimmers, boxers and horseriders, as well as participants in team sports, such as handball and water ballet.
Youth and Sports Minister Khaled Abdel Aziz told media Egypt is looking to win medals not just participate, as the nation has spent close to US$13 million on the delegation.
The Olympic committee expects Egypt to win eight medals this time around. Those flagged as potential medalists are: Taekwondo expert Hedaya Malak, weightlifter Mohamed Ehab, shooter Azmy Meheilba, pentathlon competitor Amr al-Gezeiry, swimmer Ahmed Akram, wrestler Haitham Fahmy and boxer Hossam Bakr.
Egypt has won 26 Olympic medals since it started competing in the games in 1912. There have only been two occassions in which Egypt has not taken part in the Olympics — in 1932 during the Great Depression and 1980 in partial support of the US' boycott of the Moscow games.
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