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Egyptian sportÌýhas been left reeling after reportsÌýemerged this week that 22-year-old wrestler Ahmed Fouad Bagdouda hadÌý.Ìý

Bagdouda had just won the silver medal with the Egyptian team at the 2023 African Wrestling Championships held in Tunisia earlier this month when he left his belongings in the hotel room after the tournament, turned his phone off, and secretly made his way to France, according to Egyptian news .

Bagdouda applied for a French visa and obtained his passport under the pretext of exchanging currency at the team camp in Hammamet, °®Âþµº's Arabic-language sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

The EWF that it would be studying "legal measures" to stop Bagdouda from competing for any other national wrestling federation.Ìý

There have been severalÌý of Egyptian sportspeople to other countries in recent years.

In 2022, the wrestler Mohamed Essam, a former world youth champion, fled to Italy, citing disagreements with the EWF.ÌýIn the same year, former world number one squash playerÌýMohamed El ShorbagyÌýswitched allegiance from Egypt to England.Ìý

Egypt also lost national and African boxing champion Hossam Bakr after the athlete said he no longer wished to be part of the Egyptian national team and was looking for opportunities to box professionally in the United States.Ìý

Egyptian sport has been dogged by allegations of a lack of investment in infrastructure and excessive interference by the state. Athletes in the country are paid little, adding to the difficulties of pursuing sport professionally.