Egypt fencing team make history with bronze medal victory over Israel at World Championships

The Egyptian men’s fencing team edged out Israel in a dramatic match to clinch the bronze medal at the World Fencing Championships in Hong Kong on Wednesday, much to the delight of the country’s fans and fencing federation.

The men’s epee team, consisting of Mohamed El-Sayed, Mahmoud El-Sayed, Mahmoud Mohsen, and Youssef Shamel, beat their Israeli opponents by just one point, edging them 39 to 38 to win the bronze medal match.

After pulling off the move that secured Egypt’s final point and eventual medal, Mohamed El-Sayed celebrated with a stoic expression and a gesture of wiping away dust from his shoulders. He also refused to shake the hands of the Israeli competitors, before kneeling to the ground and pointing his index fingers to the sky, a common gesture by Muslims to acknowledge the oneness of God.

Egyptians celebrated their victory against Israel particularly due to the negative public opinion of the country following decades of war and occupation in the Palestinian territories and the Middle East, which has intensified after the genocidal war on Gaza began in October 2023.

One user said on X: "A historic and legendary celebration from Mohammed El-Sayed, wiping away the touches of the player from the Zionist entity that touched his body. El-Sayed is Egypt’s future in a gold medal at the upcoming Olympics."

El-Sayed is ranked number one in the world in the epee event and boasts an impressive tally of medals, including an individual bronze in the same event at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Their achievement was lauded by Egypt's Minister of Youth and Sports, Gohar Nabil, who made a personal phone call to the president of the Egyptian fencing federation and to the medallists.

Arab athletes competing against Israeli ones amid the backdrop of war and occupation has been a source of controversy over the years, and boycotts of such bouts have usually been encouraged.

Over the years, several Egyptian athletes have refused to play against Israeli counterparts. Others have opted to compete but have usually refused to acknowledge their opponent.

Egypt and Israel have had diplomatic relations ever since 1979 but public opinion has remained negative while solidarity with Palestinians has remained as present as ever.

A successful tournament

The epee team's medal is Egypt’s second of the competition, after Mohamed Amer won bronze in the men’s individual sabre competition.

Both bronzes mark the country’s first medals at a World Fencing Championships in 75 years, the last being in 1951.

Before that year, Egypt had won several bronze medals between 1947 and 1951, across multiple team events.

Despite a decades-long medal drought on the senior international stage, Egypt’s junior fencers have gone on to win gold at youth level, notably at the World Youth Championships in 2021.

Egypt has emerged as the leading fencing nation in Africa and in the MENA region, frequently featuring on continental, junior, and global podiums. In recent years, the Egyptian government has heavily invested in fencing, amid a push to make Egypt one of the world’s leading nations in the sport.