A simple phrase written on the Egyptian winner of the US the 15th annual US Sumo Open Ramy Abd El Aty Ibrahim Belal al-Gazzar summed up his journey until he became the world Sumo champion. "The start was with nothing, and the end was victory," Gazzar's red t-shirt read.
Gazzar started as a laborer at a spinning and weaving company and ended up as the world champion who won many Sumo and Judo championships, the last was the US Sumo Open on last Sunday.
He defeated the heavyweight gold medalist Byambajar Byambajav, from Mangolia, who has not lost a single match over nine years.
Gazzar works with the maintenance department of the Misr Spinning and Weaving Company in Mahalla al-Kubra City. Gazzar said he works also as a coach for the Misr Spinning and Weaving Company's Judo team with LE140 monthly salary. Gazzar has requested previously from the company officials to leave work with the maintenance department and be dedicated to sports. His request was denied more than once, he said.
After Gazzar won two cups of the International Championship of Poland, the company's management hung a sign thanking some administration employees without thanking the player, he said.
"When I travel with the national team for [championships], the company's management considers me absent from work, not a representative of Egypt in an international competition," he said.
"When I come back, I sometimes find myself dismissed and I keep begging the company officials to cancel the dismissal," Gazzar added.
Gazzar participated in the US Sumo Open at his own expense, he said. "The Egyptian Judo, Aikido and Sumo Federation rejected to fund my trip to the US for the championship, so I decided to participate at my own expense as a gift to my country because the championship is very important and has a strong effect," Gazzar said.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
