Imagine a stadium with thousands of people cheering and clapping for someone. Now, imagine this “someone” is a young Egyptian karate player, a source of pride, isn't it?
Ali Al-Sawy is the first African and Arabic male player who qualified for Tokyo Olympics 2021 after qualifying for the third and fourth place-determination match in the Premier Karate Championship that was held in Portugal under the supervision of the International Karate Federation. Trendify interviewed Al-Sawy, who is also a World Champion medalist, African champion and a Mediterranean champion.
Qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics is a dream coming true, how do you feel about it?
Qualifying to Tokyo was both a challenge and a dream to me but it was more of a challenge since I started taking things more seriously. It's an indescribable feeling but it comes with a huge responsibility.
How are you preparing for the Tokyo Olympics?
I joined a camp in the Border Guard Club, then another camp in Russia, and of course after returning to Egypt , there will be camps in Egypt and an outdoor camp just before the Olympics.
What are you expecting from the Tokyo Olympics?
Definitely more experience. There will be many strong players from different countries and I am very excited to participate in such a big event, I am aiming to win of course.
How did you stay focused in the pandemic on a mental and physical level?
It was very hard during the pandemic to do anything, but of course I practiced and I kept on following a healthy lifestyle, and it was even harder when the world karate league in turkey has started because it was the first league I played after stopping for a year due to the coronavirus, and it is was very difficult to get used to keeping a feet on the international carpet again.
What was the hardest thing about The Premier League in Portugal?
The premier league in Portugal was very hard and stressful for me because I had only one goal in my head after the world karate league , which is to qualify for the Olympics in Tokyo. Since the premier league is what determines my destiny, if I'm going to be qualified or not.
Is joining a team important for karate players? And did not joining a team affect your performance by any chance?
Of course it is important for all players to join a team and it affects them if they don't, but the fact that I’m a solo player made me focus more on qualifying for the Olympics, I also get full support from my sponsors.
How did the Ministry of Youth and Sports support you?
Frankly, there is unlimited support from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Olympic Committee and the Karate Federation, in addition my exclusive agent, sponsors, Banque du Caire, Wadi Degla, and other sports organizations.
