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Egypt selected the
squad to meet Poland in the first weekend
 Cairo,
Egypt, June 11, 2008- Egypt men’s volleyball team get
ready to start the 2008 World league journey meeting
Poland in the first weekend of the continental round on
Friday and Saturday 13 and 14 June at Mubarak Hall in
Alexandria, Egypt as the head coach Ahmed Zakaria
selected the 12 players to play Poland.
The selected squad includes the Italian based Abdallah
Abdel Salam, Ashraf Aboul Hassan (setters), Hamdy El
Safi (Cap.), Saleh Fathy, Mohamed Abdel Monem, Mahmoud
Raouf (Left attackers), Mohamed Ali, Abdel Latif Othman,
Ahmed Mosad (Centers), Ahmed Salah, Mohamed Gabal
(Opposites) and Wael Al Aidy (Libero).
The Egyptian national team had a shorter preparation
than was designed by the technical staff due to the late
collection of the players for their end year exams. They
team had a local camp in
the Olympic center in Cairo for three weeks followed by
another camp for a week in Alexandria.
“We consider the World League as a very good preparation
for the Olympic Games where we will meet the biggest
forces in the world,” Said Egypt head coach Ahmed
Zakaria. “We will work hard to achieves our first ever
World League victory after two participations without
any victory. I think my players will be fully
prepared by the third weekend when all the players reach
the optimum performance.” He added.
Egypt volleyball team achieved its best results last
season when they won the 2007 All Africa Games in
Algeria, the 2007 African Nations Championship in South
Africa and the 2008 African Olympic Qualifications
gaining the only African ticket in Beijing Olympic
Games. Egypt also achieved the best ever African
performance in the 2007 FIVB World Cup when they won
three matches.
On the other hand Poland team arrived to Alexandria in
the late evening of Wednesday and will practice their
first training session on Thursday before their first
match against Egypt. The Polish team is optimistic to
achieve good results in the World League after they
gained the Olympic ticket through the 2008 World Olympic
Qualification Tournament in Portugal early this month.
The victory put Poland again on the tract of the World
map after their temporary failure in the European
championship qualifications. “We are happy to win the
Olympic better but we hope to perform better in the
World League and also in Beijing,” Said Poland Head
coach Raul Lozano.
The polish team came to Egypt with a star studded squad
with most of the players who were the runner up of the
2006 World Championship in Japan led by the experienced
center Lukasz Kadziewicz, the team captain Piotr
Gruszka. The Polish team will miss many key stars like
the skilful setter Pawel Zagumny, the strong attacker
Sebastian Swiderski and the efficient opposite Mariusz
Wlazly. Poland will change five players in the squad
that meets China at the second weekend.
Photo Caption
Egypt coach Ahmed Zakaria thinking to prepare for the
Olympic
Games
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