To Social Media Experts and Analysts

Written by Dr. Hamada Alantably

Ever since the launch of the #Tokyo2020 Olympic Games, there has been widespread tracking of the results of athletes participating in this largest and most important tournament in the world. With every competition, you find virtual gallows being erected and trials held for the participating athletes, as if everyone has suddenly become a coach, a judge, and an executioner all at once. This phenomenon has negatively impacted the psychological well-being of athletes currently in Tokyo—or those preparing to travel to join the delegation and compete—leaving each of them feeling as though a noose is waiting for them the moment their event concludes.

But have we asked ourselves, as we rush to pass judgment on these athletes who are, by the way, true champions: What level of preparation did this champion receive in order to compete for an Olympic medal? Is this continental-level champion actually equipped to compete against global world-class athletes in their sport? Does this player enjoy the level of support expected of an Olympic athlete being groomed for a medal? Have we ever even heard of this sport or this athlete before? Do we follow anything other than football? Do we even know how this sport is played in the first place, or what its competitive mechanics are?

Unfortunately, we are judging the weakest link in the equation. We are putting the victim on trial, not the culprit. For those who do not know—and I am certain that these internet executioners hiding behind their phone or laptop screens know nothing about the sports they are attacking, whether they are played with a ball or a racket, with their entire knowledge limited to reading a headline about an athlete’s failure—sports in Egypt rely almost entirely on the athlete’s parents and the athlete themselves.

The champion you see on television today was not manufactured by a proper system; sports across the world have become a robust industry, after all. This athlete did not find someone to scout them for this sport, nor did they receive a tailored training program or the psychological environment necessary to forge an Olympic champion—unlike the competitors they face. Instead, you find a federation board consumed by personal interests, an Olympic committee distracted by internal conflicts, and a ministry chasing photo opportunities.

The athlete, ladies and gentlemen, is the weakest party in the system. Come, let us remember the cries for help from our champions ever since the Rio Olympics ended, pleading for proper preparation, finding no one to listen or support them. Or let us remember the official who manipulated selections to secure a spot for a relative at the expense of a qualified athlete. Or let us recall the complicit federation whose medical staff member was involved in promoting banned substances, causing the sport to face suspensions. And let us remember the official who today acts like an enthusiastic fan, though yesterday athletes stood at his door and he wouldn’t even look their way. The examples and facts are endless.

Therefore, I implore you by God to have mercy on our children and champions. A champion among us is not manufactured or prepared; rather, they are a product of sheer coincidence, personal grit, and the sacrifice of their families. Look back at the memories of Karam Gaber, Boghdady, Mohamed Ali, Mohamed Ehab, Sara Samir, Hedaya Malak, and Alaa Abouelkasem—and I won’t even list the names of athletes who suffered from persecution and chose to naturalize elsewhere to compete under another flag.

Judge the culprit, not the victim. And to the self-proclaimed social media experts, I say: Have some fear of God. Enough mindless parroting and riding every wave of outrage. Have mercy on us, may God have mercy on you! You neither offer help nor spare us your harm; isn’t what we already suffer through enough because of you? Straighten up, may God have mercy on you.

By Dr. Hamada Alantably