The joy in Egypt over the significant achievement of the national futsal team, which recently won the African Championships in Nigeria, was short-lived. Shortly after returning to the country, the team discovered that several players were infected with malaria, prompting a battle against this deadly disease.
In the final match, the Egyptian team faced off against Libya, whose delegation suffered greatly after the tournament, with 16 players infected by malaria, five of whom were in critical condition. Additionally, the death of player Ayman Al-Nuqresh was reported by the Libyan Ministry of Sports. This tragic loss has served as a wake-up call for sports officials in both Libya and Egypt, emphasizing the critical need for timely medical care for players suffering from malaria, as delays could endanger lives.
Malaria, a deadly disease caused by parasites transmitted among humans through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes, reportedly caused nearly 400,000 deaths in 2018 according to the World Health Organization. While the malaria-causing mosquito is not found in Egypt, it exists in several other African countries, including Nigeria, where the tournament took place.
According to the Egyptian Federation for Futsal, three players from the team have contracted malaria: Ibrahim Kamal, Mohamed Ramadan, and Hossam Hassan. Ahmed Samir, the president of the Egyptian Federation, stated in a brief remark to "Sky News Arabia" that the health conditions of the players are improving and that they are receiving the best medical care in Egyptian government hospitals equipped to treat this type of malaria.
The family of one of the infected players, who requested anonymity, shared insights into his health status and the discovery of his malaria infection. The player's brother explained that following their return from the African Championship, the player's fever persisted, and doctors initially attributed it to a common cold. However, after the player fainted, his family took him to a hospital where he was diagnosed with malaria.
He added, "The malaria has affected my brother's brain, in addition to lowering his hemoglobin levels. However, his condition has improved in recent hours, and doctors indicated that he is only a few days away from full recovery from malaria." He also noted that the Egyptian Federation is monitoring his brother’s health but has not covered the treatment expenses, stating, "We are fully covering his medical costs, and the hospital is requesting that we purchase some medications due to their unavailability. We are almost daily asking friends for blood donations for him, and we hope he receives better medical care, especially since he contracted malaria while representing Egypt at a continental championship, contributing to the team’s victory."
Following this family's remarks, "Sky News Arabia" reached out to Egypt's Ministry of Youth and Sports to seek a swift resolution for better healthcare for the malaria-infected Egyptian players. Dr. Mohamed Fawzy, the ministry's spokesperson, indicated that the ministry would quickly intervene to provide better medical care for the affected players and would financially compensate them for their recent expenditures. Additionally, the ministry, in coordination with the Egyptian Federation, will cover all treatment costs until the players fully recover.
Fawzy further stated, "We have contacted the Egyptian Federation and learned that all members of the Egyptian delegation who traveled to Nigeria for the tournament were vaccinated against the diseases prevalent in the African country, confirming that these are isolated cases." He continued, "Our sole goal now is to ensure the recovery of the affected players, after which we will consider measures to prevent such incidents from happening again. The positive news amid this crisis is that the players’ health is significantly improving, with only a few days remaining for full recovery."
In closing, the spokesperson for the Egyptian Ministry of Sports expressed condolences for the Libyan player, Ayman Al-Nuqresh, and hoped for the speedy recovery of the remaining players from the brotherly Arab nation. Notably, mini-football is similar to futsal, and the announcement for organizing the first World Cup for this game came in 2013, contributing to the Egyptian team's historic qualification for the World Cup for the first time.
