‘Pregnant’ sword player sparks division in Egypt
Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez has sparked controversy on Egyptian social media pages and platforms after announcing that she was participating in the épée competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics, while she was seven months pregnant.
Nada Hafez (26), who is participating in the Olympics for the third time, beat the American Elizabeth Tartakovsky, tenth, 15-13, before losing 15-7 to the South Korean Jun Hyung in the round of 16 at the Grand Palais yesterday (Monday). The competitions are said goodbye.
Nada Hafez wrote on her Instagram account: “What seemed to you like two players on the podium were actually only three… It was me, my competitor and my child who had not yet arrived in our world! Pride fills me to be after securing my place in the round of 16… These Olympics were different. “I have participated in the Olympic Games three times, but this time I won a small Olympic medal.”
Nada, who previously competed at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, said she revealed the news “to highlight the strength and perseverance of Egyptian women,” and continued: “The pregnancy journey is difficult in itself, but you have to fight to maintain a balance between life and sports was nothing short of exhausting. But it’s worth it.”
It was a comment that quickly spread among Egyptian and Arab social media pioneers, so much so that the player’s name became a “trend” in the last few hours.
The platforms have witnessed divisions over the Egyptian player’s pregnancy. Many people criticized her participation while she was pregnant, due to the danger it posed to her and her fetus.
While others criticized the fact that the player was allowed to travel and participate in the Olympics, demanding that those who allowed her to do so be held accountable. Others also condemned the fact that the player is not taking responsibility for the fetus she is carrying in her womb.
On the other hand, many testimonies defended the Egyptian player and considered her an honorable role model, which confirms her success on the educational, social and sporting levels.
Many social media pioneers have also slammed those criticizing the player for participating while pregnant, sarcastically stating that anyone criticizing her should highlight their own accomplishments, even if they aren’t pregnant!
Many comments took a feminine tone in defense of the Egyptian player, attacking at the same time the “masculine tone” that criticizes her.
For his part, Egyptian Mohamed Bayoumi, an expert in sports regulations and laws, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Olympic regulations generally stipulate that the participant in the Olympic Games must be healthy and physically fit, and not be exposed to any dangerous substances. no danger resulting from practicing a sport. It does not indicate that it is a specific disease, not to mention the pregnancy of women.
Bayoumi criticized the Egyptian athlete’s participation while she was pregnant, stressing that “fencing and fencing sports require the practitioner to jump forward and backward, which of course poses a danger to the life of the athlete and her fetus.” The doctors of the fencing team who allowed the athlete to travel and play, asked the Egyptian Olympic Committee to hold the Fencing Federation responsible for the player’s participation while she was pregnant, as it is a “sports scandal” according to them. to her description.
The expert in sports regulations and laws pointed out that the incident of an Egyptian athlete participating while pregnant occurred for the first time in the history of Egyptian participation in the Olympic Games.
In an attempt to defend the player on social media, some users shared examples of pregnant women who had already participated in sports competitions.
Local media responded to the news of the épée athlete’s pregnancy by publishing reports about athletes who competed in the Olympic Games while pregnant, including: Czech Katerina Emmons, who won the gold medal in shooting at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the first month of her pregnancy; American Michelle Granger, who competed in softball at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, managed to win the gold medal while in her third month of pregnancy; and English Elizabeth Dyball, who competed in the 2012 London Olympics while in her fourth month of pregnancy and won the bronze medal in featherweight boxing.
