Nermin Tariq

Egypt - Ghada Hossam is the goalkeeper of the Egyptian women's handball team, she succeeds in every sphere of her life despite social pressures; she is both a mother and sportsperson. In her opinion sport does not prevent women from getting married and being mothers.

Ghada Hossam is the goalkeeper of the Egyptian Al-Ahly Women's Handball team and the handball team holds many records nationally. It is the most crowned team in the League with 34 titles and 30 Egyptian cup records, and internationally, the only team to achieve such high achievements. 27-year-old Ghada Hossam plays handball while raising her child. She is also a student. So she is a good role model for every girl. Ghada Houssam started playing football by joining the Zamalek Football Team when she was seven years old, then she joins the handball team.

Ghada Hussam shared her experiences in sports and motherhood with our news agency.

 Why did you choose to play for Al-Ahly team?

I wanted to have a good future and I was ambitious. My dream is to join the Arab and the African Championship and then the Olympic Games. I believed that I could be successful by playing for the Al-Ahly team. I got my first award in 2010. Being a goalkeeper is very important. A team cannot exist without a goalkeeper.   

 How can you manage to join handball matches and, international tournaments while raising your child?

I take my child with me to matches with the help of my mother. My mother takes care of my son, while I am playing in the matches.

 What kind of challenges female players in Egypt face after becoming pregnant and giving birth to a child?

 The female players in Egypt don’t have psychological and family support, so most of them quit playing. My husband encourages and supports me to keep playing; my husband Ahmed Nabil is an engineer and also is a sportsperson. I can say he is my biggest supporter.

You are a sportsperson and also a student, have you ever faced any challenges?

 Of course, I have faced several challenges, but I think I manage to overcome them. After completing the preparatory class, I want to get my master's degree in archeology. I graduated from university in Cairo. I love Al-Ahly club, so I began to play handball.  

What kinds of problems female players face in Egypt and what is your dream as a player?

 Bullying is one of the problems female players face. People use nicknames for us. For instance, I am long so I am called “date palm”. Many female players leave the sport due to bullying against them. My biggest dream is to form the first all-women Egyptian handball team. There are many successful sportswomen in Egypt such as Merwa İd Adil Melek and Rihab Cimae. But the Egyptian Federation does not want to form an all-women national team because they believe that the women will marry and leave their sports life. That’s why men’s teams take all financial aids.

Egyptian society sees sports as one of the obstacles for women to get married, what are your thoughts?

This is a wrong thought; social relations are also expanding in the field of sports. I met with my husband on the occasion of sports. After getting married, I keep playing. When I became pregnant, I worked for a university. After giving birth to my son, I started to play again.

What is the most difficult thing in playing handball?

When I was playing in Morocco in 2015 in the African Championship, I got injured but I didn't leave playing.

Have you ever joined tournaments abroad and what would you like to recommend to girls?

I participated in the African Championship in 2011 held in Burkina Faso, and the Arab Championship held in Morocco in 2013. I advise that all girls should pursue their dreams.