It was first an attempt to cut the hassle of wasting time picking up balls when practicing tennis. Using his engineering background, This man Mohamed Lofty, decided to tie a tennis ball to a poll so that his child could practice tennis easier.
In 1961 it turned out to become a new sport called speed ball. After creating this sport, Egypt had the honor to become a super power, winning 26 of all the 27 world championships.But as the sport is spreading across the globe, the defending world champions find it harder to keep their title.
“Within the last 10 years, it was more or less easy, but in the last three years we had severe competition and it’s actually increasing, for sure for the sake of the game we need to have huge competition, this will help us put the game in many other countries, because if it’s only Egypt no one will be interested.” Nabil Emam, Captain, Egypt speed ball team
But Egypt is way ahead in the sport. Take this 20 years old champion as an example. Winning the national championship at 8, Mohamed Nagy, quickly rose as yet another world champion. In 2015, he played his first professional world championship, in Poland. He won the gold medal and broke the Egyptian world championship of 596 hits, to 606.
” I broke the world record once to qualify to the Egyptian national team, I was the first player to break the 600 hits boundary, but in the world championship I wasn’t sure if I’ll be able to do that again. To have it as a world record it must have been achieved in an international competition, it was hard, but thank God I managed to do so.” Mohamed Nagy, Super-solo speedball world record holder
” I am feeling very proud of him, because for them they already broke our records, we started the journey like 10, 15 years ago and we set records, in few years they broke them. And they are even they are making more records. It’s very good for them and I feel we will continue the journey so the junior now are even better and they will achieve more and more.” Nabil Emam, Captain, Egypt speed ball team
Emam himself is a Legend in the sport. He won 18 medals in14 world championships, covering all categories of speedball. Putting himself as a unique world player.
“I am finally achieving my goal because normally, yet I won several championships. But winning the career slam, which is winning all gold championships, in all events, I am the first player to achieve this so I am very very proud.” Nabil Emam, Captain, Egypt speed ball team
The sport has been expanding with India quickly shaping itself as a worthy opponent to Egypt. But in Africa five countries are member in the international federation. And Only Egypt and Tunisia are active participants in the sport.
