The people of Mecca know its mountain paths best.

Written by Dr. Hamada Al-Antably

In the past, they said, “The people of Mecca know its mountain paths best.” If we want to apply this saying to the field of sports, who are the people of Mecca here? Are they the graduates of colleges and departments of physical education, or are the athletes who practiced various sports? We find that in all other fields, the people of Mecca are the graduates of their respective colleges; you will not find a doctor who is not a graduate of a medical school, nor an engineer who is not a graduate of an engineering school.

In contrast, within the sports field—despite the existence of 28 physical education colleges in Egypt and dozens of physical education colleges and departments throughout the Arab world, and despite the Minister of Youth and Sports in Egypt being a professor of sports management—we rarely find a coach, administrator, club president, or federation head [from this background]. It is as if physical education colleges produce nothing more than physical education school teachers.

With all due respect and appreciation to all my professors and dear colleagues, the question here is: Are we falling short regarding our own rights and the rights of our specialization, or are we being wronged and deprived of the opportunity? Are opportunities seized or waited for? And did those who took the opportunity from us prove worthy of it and pave the way for the rest of their colleagues to prove that we are the people of Mecca and that we know its paths best, or did they squander the opportunity and ruin the field due to a lack of experience, competence, or awareness?

Now, do we possess the courage to answer the question: Who are the people of Mecca?

By Dr. Hamada Al-Antably