The Egypt 2021 COVID-19-Related Regulations as well as the legal procedures with regard to the COVID-19 Medical Precaution Plan (including but not limited to the scope of application and sanctions) were approved by the IHF Council on 4 December 2020 and communicated to all National Federations participating in the 2021 IHF Men’s World Championship. The National Federations were urged several times by the IHF to comply with all obligations set out in the COVID-19 Medical Precaution Plan at all times throughout their stay to ensure the organisation of the 2021 IHF Men’s World Championship in a healthy and safe environment for all parties involved.

The reports from the Competition Management Chairman and the IHF Representative as well as the decision of the Disciplinary Commission related to the case of Egyptian Handball Federation President Eng. Hisham Nasr, who violated the COVID-19 Medical Precaution Plan during the 2021 IHF Men’s World Championship, were discussed by the IHF Executive Committee in its meeting held by video conference on 19 February 2021. The mentioned reports and the corresponding Disciplinary Commission decision state that Eng. Hisham Nasr switched several times between the bubble and non-bubble zones in the arena and had external contact with persons not staying in the bubble, taking into consideration that he was accommodated in one of the bubble hotels. Egyptian Handball Federation President Eng. Hisham Nasr was asked if he would still like to be part of the bubble or if he would rather prefer to stay outside the bubble. He confirmed that he would like to stay inside the bubble. 

On 13 January 2021, Eng. Hisham Nasr switched between the bubble and non-bubble zones by being part of the VIP tribune during the opening ceremony.

On 15 January 2021, Eng. Hisham Nasr met with Cape Verde embassy representatives and switched between the bubble and non-bubble zones during the match HUN-CPV according to the report from IHF Representative Dr Frantisek Taborsky (Czech Republic), who is also part of the IHF Executive Committee.

On 17 January 2021, IHF Competition Management Chairman Mr Dietrich Späte (Germany) sent an official communication to Eng. Hisham Nasr to inform him about his violations of the COVID-19 Medical Precaution Plan as mentioned above. Furthermore, Eng. Hisham Nasr received guests not staying within the bubble, such as representatives of the Parliament, and showed them around the bubble zones. IHF asked him for an explanation on the mentioned violations. 

On 18 January 2021, Eng. Hisham Nasr sent a letter to IHF, confirming that he and all LOC members respect the COVID-19 Medical Precaution Plan. He also stated that in case he met any person not staying in the bubble, an antigen test had been carried out by the person concerned, the result of which was negative.  

On 19 January 2021, IHF Competition Management Chairman Mr Dietrich Späte reported on another serious violation of the COVID-19 Medical Precaution Plan committed by Eng. Hisham Nasr despite an earlier warning (official IHF communication on his violations of the COVID-19 Medical Precaution Plan). During the match MKD-CHI on 18 January, Eng. Hisham Nasr went down from the VIP area (not included in the bubble zone) and walked through the field of play to be seated in the bubble zone. This behaviour was shown for a long time in front of running TV cameras. All IHF delegates observed this incident as a violation of the existing rules. Together with the LOC responsible for the arena, Eng. Hisham Nasr was referred back to the VIP stand. His behaviour, which is considered as a violation to the World Championship regulations in this difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic, was witnessed by many other stakeholders, including but not limited to the IHF referees, IHF Officials and the IHF Representative of the match concerned. In general, various IHF stakeholders observed Eng. Hisham Nasr’s behaviour several times.

Based on the report from the Competition Management Chairman, the Disciplinary Commission studied the case and decided on 19 January 2021 to impose measures of entry restrictions on Eng. Hisham Nasr. These restrictions concerned entrance into red zones (bubble zones) of the sports halls where the matches of the 2021 IHF Men’s World Championship were played, as well as into red zones of the hotels where the participants of the World Championship concerned were accommodated. The decision shall be submitted to the Competition Management and to the IHF Executive Committee. The Disciplinary Commission did not impose any sanction on Eng. Hisham Nasr (e.g. full exclusion from the competition according to the legal regulations of the championship – a sanction which might have had a negative impact on the Egyptian national team), considering that the event concerned was organised in Egypt. Therefore, the decision on the sanction was left to the IHF Executive Committee’s discretion.

As instructed by the Disciplinary Commission, the entire issue was presented to the IHF Executive Committee in its meeting held by video conference on 19 February 2021. Taking into consideration his serious and repeated violations of the COVID-19 Medical Precaution Plan during the 2021 IHF Men’s World Championship, the Executive Committee proposed to the IHF Council to suspend Egyptian Handball Federation President Eng. Hisham Nasr from all handball activities with immediate effect until the next IHF Congress according to Article 14.3.27 of the IHF Statutes, which states the following:

The Council shall be entitled to suspend any stakeholders that seriously and repeatedly violate their obligations as members with immediate effect until the next Congress. The Council shall give the opportunity to the members concerned to present their arguments and give them the benefit of the doubt until the members present their defence to the Council, after which the Council may revoke the decision and lift the suspension.

The IHF Council took into consideration the serious and repeated violations of the COVID-19 Medical Precaution Plan committed by Eng. Hisham Nasr, which could have jeopardised the organisation of the World Championship, taking into account the huge investment made by the Egyptian government in implementing the COVID-19 Medical Precaution Plan, aiming to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 and safeguard the health and life of all stakeholders involved in the World Championship. Key figures of the Egyptian government exerted outstanding efforts to make this event the best World Championship it can be in such unprecedented times. 

The IHF Council also considered the irresponsible behaviour of the President of the Egyptian Handball Federation, which delivered a message of non-compliance to the set Regulations to all stakeholders who took part in the 2021 IHF Men’s World Championship in Egypt.

Due to serious and repeated violations of the COVID-19 Medical Precaution Plan during the 2021 IHF Men’s World Championship by Egyptian Handball Federation President Eng. Hesham Nasr, who should have been a role model to be followed, the IHF Council (excluding IHF President Dr Moustafa, who always abstains from voting at all IHF Council and Executive Committee decisions) unanimously decided to suspend Eng. Hisham Nasr from all handball activities with immediate effect until the next IHF Congress according to the proposal of the IHF Executive Committee and in compliance with Article 14.3.27 in conjunction with the obligation of the Egyptian National Federation to follow Article 8.3.a and 8.3.e of the IHF Statutes. 

Note: The Egyptian Handball Federation President Eng. Hesham Nasr has the right to be heard according to Article 14.3.27 of the IHF Statutes as well as appeal against the final decision of the IHF Council to the IHF Adjudicating bodies according to Article 2.2.9 of the IHF Legal Provisions.