Sara Gamal from Egypt, who is also a civil engineer, is about to add another historical page to her successful life story. Sara, who transitioned from basketball player to referee, will be the first hijab referee at the Olympic Games.
Sara Gamal from Egypt, who is also a civil engineer, is about to add another historical page to her successful life story.
Sara, who transitioned from basketball player to referee, Olympic He will be the first headscarved referee in the Games.
Sara Gamal will also be the first African and Arab female referee to direct 3×3 basketball games.
Played by more than 430,000 people in 182 countries, the 3×3 basketball game is one of the most played urban sports. In 3×3 games, also known as street basketball, two teams of three meet in a standard half-court.
Sara says it was a “dream” for her to take part in the Olympics.
The postponement of all activities due to the epidemic also affected Sara. “We were worried about whether it would be done, but eventually it is being done,” he says.
Saying that her family is proud of her, Sara is aware of the fact that with great successes, expectations also increase:
“Representing not only myself but also Africa and the Arab world is a big responsibility. It is not easy. I want to represent them in the best possible way and I do my best for that.”
Sara speaks softly, with a friendly smile. When we met hours after he had directed a match in Romania and returned to his home in Egypt, he told me:
“Every time I achieve something and I think it’s my greatest achievement ever, God opens the door to a bigger opportunity. Last season I managed the semi-finals of the men’s league in Egypt. It was a serious success.”
This season, Sara took her achievements even further by directing the final of the men’s Egyptian Cup and the matches in the African Basketball League.
“These were big steps for me and for other female referees in Egypt. It’s the first time a female referee has officiated the men’s final in the country,” she says.
combining the two ways
Sara’s journey leading up to the Olympic Games was quite challenging.
When she was a child, she watched her sister play basketball and started accompanying her in training. At the age of five, Sara started playing basketball. He was 15 when he started refereeing.
For eight years, Sara played basketball and refereed. He explains that the decision to quit acting and focus on refereeing was one of the most difficult processes:
“It’s not easy being the first person to do it. You have to be very brave. You have to believe that when you take action for something you believe in, you will get results.”
Sara is used to balancing many roles in her personal life. He still continues to work as an engineer. While pursuing his basketball career, he did not interrupt his education for five years.
“I always had the support of my family, who taught me how to balance the two paths,” she says, saying it wasn’t easy.
Now his colleagues support him by watching him from the stands: “They watch my games and of course they will continue to support me in the Olympics.”
‘I took my faith as a guide’
Sara says that throughout this process, her faith strengthened her:
“I believe that if I do my best, the best results will come back to me. You must work with all your strength. After you say, ‘I did my best,’ leave the rest to Allah. He will guide you.”
Saying that she prays after each game, Sara says, “I pray to God to help the game or tournament go great.”
Acting on the same belief in her on-court dress, Sara became the first FIBA referee to wear a headscarf at an international level, thanks to the rule that changed in 2017.
She explains that she received completely positive feedback in this direction: “Sometimes the players say that I look nice. I am happy to have paved the way for other female referees to realize their dreams.”
Saying that young female referees in her country often text her, Sara says that they cannot believe that they will take part in major tournaments and travel the world:
“I tell them they can do better than me. You can achieve all your goals whenever you want. You have the power to do that. It makes me proud that they can see their future as a referee.”
“I think we women have special powers. We are very, very strong.”
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