Egyptian wrestler Haggag disappears from team camp in Slovakia

A file photo of Ziad Haggag celebrating the Egyptian flag.

CAIRO, Aug 26: Egyptian wrestler Ziad Haggag has gone missing from the Egyptian national team’s accommodation in Slovakia, prompting official action to investigate the incident and locate the 19-year-old athlete.

Egyptian Wrestling Federation President Saeed Salah told Sky News Arabia that the federation immediately notified the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Egyptian Embassy, and relevant Slovak authorities after Haggag disappeared following his participation in the World Youth Wrestling Championships.

Haggag reportedly left the team’s accommodation while the delegation was preparing to attend a training session. When members of the coaching staff asked him to join them, he said he would follow shortly. He then switched off his phone and left the accommodation without informing the delegation of his whereabouts.

Salah said the federation had already introduced precautionary measures before the delegation travelled from Cairo, including requiring the parents of athletes to sign officially notarized declarations accepting responsibility for their children during the trip and ensuring their return to Egypt.

He stressed that the measure applied to all members of recent Egyptian sports delegations and was not specific to Haggag.

Following the incident, the federation filed a report to help locate the wrestler and also contacted his family to check on his well-being. Salah said the federation initially believed Haggag may have simply left the accommodation and that this did not necessarily mean he intended to leave the delegation or remain abroad.