The Egypt Orienteering Federation became members in the International Orienteering Federation 2015 and already, after only three years of activities they had a lot of participants at World Orienteering Day 2018. 9200 participants at 12 locations took part during WOD last year. A fantastic result! And one of the most important persons behind the success is the president of the Egypt Orienteering Federation, Mr Tamer Mehanna. We have asked him some questions regarding WOD 2018 in Egypt:
What kind of target did you have with WOD 2018 in Egypt?
– “Our targets was to increase the numbers of participants up to 2000 and to have more locations than last year. Another target was to make orienteering more popular in Egypt and all Arabic countries in Africa as well.”
What did you do to reach the target? What kind of strategy did you implement?
“We carry out seminars at many schools during physical education and we showed videos and photos. We were running orienteering events everywhere we went and gave them some orienteering materials like flags bunches and teach them how they can make maps and courses. To use media was also very important in our strategy. We made interviews in a lot of sport programs in sport TV channels. We also had contacts with Ministry of Sport and cities governors to get help from them in our plans. We made training courses for organisers and orienteering coaches and made a plan for them to help the others in their own cities because they came from different cities.”
Did you receive your target or it became better than expected?
“It was much more than expected because youth and children in Egypt liked orienteering very much. They found orienteering very exciting due they used their mind and body the same time. Parents also found orienteering very exciting due orienteering is a sport where they can do it and share it with their children.”
What kind of promotion did you do?
“We used medals certificates and some souvenirs to all the children and youth. And especially for youth we told them it is a new sport and it will be a great adventure for them.”
Did you have any partners to carry out WOD?
“Most of the locations were organised by our Federation but in some of them Arab Academy help us like in Alexandria. The Ministry of Sport and the Physical Education College also help us in some locations.”
Did you have any financial support?
“Yes, we succeed to have financial support from Sport Ministry and also some from Arab Academy.”
Is WOD a great tool to develop orienteering in Egypt? If so please tell me how!
“Yes of course, World Orienteering Day is a very important tool! It helps us to make orienteering more popular, because we can promote this day among schools and club sports’ centres to make a target for all orienteering in Egypt and make a good image of our Sport between others sport’s federations.”
