In a bold stride toward Olympic readiness, the Egypt Rowing Federation (ERF) hosted a World Rowing Level 1 Technical Coaching Course (TCC) in Port Said from 7-12 July 2025, with a focused emphasis on beach sprints – the format is making its Olympic debut at LA2028.
Led by World Rowing experts Madalena Ferreira (Portugal) and Vincent Tassery (France), the course brought together 16 coaches, including national team staff and club representatives from across Egypt. The hands-on training coincided with a national rowing championship, which provided the ideal environment to test and apply learning in real time
Developing Coaches, Building the Future.
“The most valuable part is the simplicity of what makes a good coach,” said Asmaa Al-Zohairy, one of the newly trained coaches. “Being given the opportunity to lead and have my voice and methods heard was truly empowering.”
Her counterpart, Mohamed Salama, highlighted the impact of athlete-centred planning: “I now feel more confident in designing progressive training sessions and delivering constructive feedback. The course has inspired me to be more open-minded and adaptable in my approach.”
The weeklong training included both classic and beach/coastal rowing modules, with special attention also paid to athlete safeguarding and welfare, injury prevention and sustainability. Despite limited access to specialized equipment, the Federation’s ambition is clearly to grow the discipline nationally and build medal-worthy teams for Dakar 2026 and LA2028.
Funding for this programme was secured through Olympic Solidarity, to whom all parties are grateful. With energy and collaboration at its core, this course represents another step forward in the Federation’s vision to make beach rowing a pillar of national sporting excellence.
Images courtesy of Vincent Tassery and Madalena Ferreira
