The Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports referred the case of wrestler Mohamed Al-Shami’s departure from the national team along with a separate incident involving Ziad Haggag to the Public Prosecution for legal action and to determine administrative responsibilities. Al-Shami left the delegation unnoticed during a layover in Rome after the team returned from the Mediterranean Games in Taranto Italy while Haggag disappeared at the World Youth Wrestling Championships in Slovakia. The ministry has also called for a review of travel protocols after initial findings indicated shortcomings in oversight of the athletes.
In a statement posted on his Facebook account Al-Shami apologised to his father his family and everyone who had supported him throughout his career which began when he started wrestling at age seven. He recalled years spent dreaming of raising Egypt’s flag at major events and achieving memorable accomplishments in the sport. The wrestler emphasised that he never wished to reach the point of leaving the national setup.
Al-Shami described reaching a moment where he felt his father had become overburdened and that as the eldest sibling someone needed to sacrifice and assume greater responsibility. “But against my will I found myself growing older and no longer knowing how to ask my father for anything” he wrote in the post. He added that the support he received did not allow him to live a decent life and that he needed to secure his own future which he said was not available under the current arrangements.[[1]](https://africasoccer.com/egypt-wrestler-mohamed-mostafa-el-shamy-explains-why-he-left-team-during-rome-transit/)
The wrestler expressed particular fear over what would happen in the event of an injury that could end his career or upon retirement despite all the achievements he had accumulated. He noted that the path may have changed and the dream postponed but that the Olympic aspiration itself remained alive. Al-Shami illustrated his point with what he called a simple calculation about his long-term prospects in the sport.
Cases of Egyptian athletes in individual sports departing for better opportunities abroad have surfaced repeatedly in recent years often linked to low compensation levels that fail to cover training and living costs. A Reuters report on wrestling and judo clubs highlighted chronic underfunding and outdated equipment at grassroots level even as certain facilities continue to produce national champions with limited government resources directed mainly toward top performers. The Egyptian Wrestling Federation has noted that clubs must finance much of the development for non-elite athletes while federations focus sponsorship on select national team members.[[2]](https://www.reuters.com/sports/tiny-hall-far-cairo-club-forges-egyptian-girls-olympic-wrestling-dreams-2025-12-22/?taid=69498e36dfee8b00016e4848)
The Egyptian Olympic Committee suspended the head of the wrestling delegation and referred him to the ethics committee after preliminary investigations pointed to negligence in monitoring team members. Despite the disruptions the national wrestling team secured seven medals at the Mediterranean Games including two gold medals. Ministry officials have stressed that the athletes’ achievements at the event should not be overshadowed by the two incidents.
