The Cairo Stadium Sports Hall changed into the setting for a party of Egyptian tradition and handball because the twenty seventh IHF Men’s World Handball Championship – Egypt 2021 – respectable beginning rite came about tonight, led with the aid of Egypt’s Head of State, H.E President Abdel Fatah Al Sisi and IHF President, Dr Hassan Moustafa.

President Al-Sisi arrived at the venue to a sequence of fireworks outside and become welcomed with the aid of dignitaries inclusive of Dr Moustafa and Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr Ashraf Sobhy.

Following a video show projected on court docket with all 32 competing countries’ flags, Dr Moustafa then paid tribute to all the hard work of stakeholders to make certain the event can be held, even as acknowledging the difficult occasions it was being performed in, with out spectators.

“I need to thank all of you to just accept your participation on this championship,” stated President Moustafa within the English a part of his speech. “But I also need to apologise to our Egyptian own family right here because we will be playing without spectators – we are very sorry approximately this.

“Before taking this selection there were a whole lot of discussions and conferences with our representatives from the IHF in addition to the teams, players, doctors and [National Federation] Presidents – we had 3 primary situations: both we put off, cancel or organise.

“We could not delay because we do not recognise whilst we can forestall this virus, and the Olympic Games has additionally been postponed. Cancelling would have had a poor impact on the majority of our handball own family because their most important profits is coming from handball, so we selected the difficult situation to organise the event, for the gamers, coaches, officials, referees and handball circle of relatives.

“Since the start of 2020 the sector has confronted a completely hard situation which has also affected all sporting activities – the IHF has needed to cancel three IHF World Championships already, in Romania, Croatia and Italy,” he delivered. “We, because the IHF, have had to adapt ourselves along with COVID-19 and feature had many conferences with the crew clinical workforce and feature already seen the teams taking component in the precaution principles.

“For everybody, I desire this championship could be the mild of the give up of the dark tunnel and that the outcomes and risk of contamination (of COVID-19) are minimised, with infections minimised to zero.

“Egypt may be within the global highlight and I am certain it’s going to deliver a message of success.”

President Moustafa concluded his speech via thanking President Al-Sisi spoke in Arabic before the Egyptian President welcomed every person who could be part of the 2021 IHF Men’s World Championship.

“Allow me to welcome all the prominent visitors right here in Egypt, in this major and largest sports activities collecting inside the global, wherein we deliver a message that confirms how the arena is now capable to evolve to the brand new reality which the coronavirus pandemic has imposed on us.

“We will triumph over this ordeal in cohesion and integration capable of dealing with any other demanding situations and turn out to be more understandable to the fee of lifestyles amid a peaceful and secure co-lifestyles amongst international locations.

“We claim the twenty seventh Men’s Handball World Championship open,” he concluded.

Following the speeches, a specially-choreographed dance and light display came about, earlier than Tamer Hosny, Marawan Mousa and Houda El-Sherbini achieved the Official Egypt 2021 Song, entitled ‘Raise Your Hand’.