NERMİN TARIQ

Cairo- Despite the challenges faced by her, Egyptian athlete Samar Hamza (27), who started her sports career by doing karate, decided to be a wrestler because she wanted to win an Olympic medal. She decided to quit wrestling because she could not achieve the success she wanted at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo but she did not give up and won the silver medal in the women's 76 kg event at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia.

She started wrestling with the support of her mother

Stating that her sports career started when she was 13, Samar Hamza said, “My sports career started by doing karate. But I wanted to win an Olympic medal so I decided to be a wrestler. Being a professional wrestler was not easy for me; I went through many difficulties and stages. My mother supported and motivated me. I represented Egypt at the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. I have participated in many international championships. I won the gold medal in her event at the 2022 African Wrestling Championships held in El Jadida, Morocco and one of the bronze medals in the 76 kg event at the 2022 Mediterranean Games held in Oran, Algeria.”

“Gender bias in sports must change”

Samar Hamza noted that female athletes are not welcomed in the Arab world. “I have been subjected to many criticisms. I have tried to prove that women can also do any sport. Gender bias in sports must change and I make efforts to change it. I want to create awareness in my society. Parents do not want their daughters to be wrestlers. For this reason, the number of women wrestlers is low in Egypt.”

Samar Hamza decided to quit wrestling because she could not achieve the success she wanted at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo but she did not give up thanks to her friends. “As an Egyptian wrestler, I had limited opportunities. Despite the limited opportunities, I became the first Egyptian woman to reach the World Championship final in Serbia.”

She wants to win an Olympic medal in Paris

Samra Hamza now works hard to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics Paris. “I really want to win an Olympic medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and I work hard now to win it.”