Another gem unearthed by Egypt: Hashad delivers superb performances at Croatia 2023

Four years ago, Egypt became the first non-European side to secure the title at the IHF Men's Youth World Championship with a superb performance which left plenty speechless. It was a superb generation for "The Pharaohs", with plenty of future stars in the squad, including the top goal scorer of the competition, Hassan Kaddah, the MVP, Ahmed Hesham, and the All-Star goalkeeper, Abdelrahman Mohammed.

The trio went on to make debuts and become important players in the senior squad. Egypt are building their future on that success and look set for the next years as they aim to replicate that success in the senior category.

But was that success only a stroke of fate? Was it random or just part of a bigger plan, with Egypt setting up a system constantly delivering good results? The answer seems to be the latter, as the African continental champions have made the IHF Men's Youth World Championship semi-finals for the second time in a row after a nail-biting 38:34 win in the quarter-final against the Faroe Islands.

It was a dramatic, nerve-wracking game, with Egypt mounting a huge comeback after being down three goals with 51 seconds left in the regular time, which saw coach Wael Sayed overcome with emotion at the end of the game, needing hours to regain his composure.

But, in the end, Egypt's resilience, grit and courage – something that truly embodies the team's spirit in all age categories – prevailed, with the Pharaohs primed to defend their title come Sunday, when the final is scheduled in the Varaždin Arena.

Different teams have different characteristics, so it may be pointless to search for the new Kaddah, the new Hesham or the new Mohammed. It might be better to see who exactly has the bigger potential to star in the future.

And judging from the last games at Croatia 2023, one of those players might be back Ziad Hashad, who was the team's top scorer against the Faroe Islands, with 11 goals, but also made a huge effort in defence, stopping the top goal scorer of the competition, Oli Mittun, marking him man-to-man.

"It is an extraordinary win, we never stopped believing, even when we were by three goals down and we fought, fought, fought until the end. That goal in the last second, which tied the game, was absolutely immense, was a true work of art," says Hashad.

Despite not featuring in the first game, the 19-year-old centre back has taken the competition by storm, being Egypt's top scorer, with 30 goals so far at Croatia 2023. His efficiency is through the roof, converting 30 of the 36 shots he took, boasting an impressive 83% shooting efficiency while converting only four penalties.

He was so good, he received the hummel Player of the Match award in three of the five games he featured in and had a huge role in helping Egypt deliver such good results, even if the African side's winning streak was snapped after 10 consecutive games at the IHF Men's Youth World Championship by Spain in the last game of the main round.

"Of course, we want to be as high as possible in the competition. This has been a good competition for us, and the most important thing we have is the spirit, which is excellent," adds Hashad.

His adventure in handball started nine years ago when he was only 10 years old, and it was not by witnessing a live game. Instead, Egypt's performances were seen by Hashad on a TV screen and it was he who fell in love with the sport and asked his father how he could play.

"I loved watching handball on TV. It really made me happy. It is a superb sport, very popular in Egypt. Therefore, seeing stars like Ahmed Elahmar or Yehia Elderaa, I just knew I wanted to play handball and here I am," adds the centre back.

He joined Zamalek, "the best club" for him, as Hashad puts it, and his rise has been impressive, becoming increasingly key in Egypt's setup. Being a modern centre back, Hashad can shoot from the back line, but he is at his peak when he breaks through, constantly finding spots in the defence to take advantage of.

Not only did he score 30 goals, but he also made 14 assists so far, with his skills being seriously needed by Egypt in the semi-final against Denmark if the African side is to become only the third side in history to secure back-to-back wins at the IHF Men's Youth World Championship, after Denmark and France.

Regardless of the outcome, though, Egypt seem to have found another gem in Hashad, a modern centre back, who can continue the excellent performances made by the "Pharaohs" over the last years.

Photos: Croatia 2023/Kolektiff images