Tokyo 2021: Giana Lotfy Farouk, bronze in karate for fame
Egyptian Giana Farouk Lotfy (left) at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games karate tournament. REUTERS - ANNEGRET HILSE
Text by: David Kalfa Follow
3 min
Giana Lotfy Farouk won the bronze medal in the karate tournament (61kg) of the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games on August 6.
An additional distinction for the best African karateka in history.
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From our special correspondent in Tokyo,
It was enough to see the rage Giana Lotfy Farouk to understand.
Understand what an Olympic medal represents for the Egyptian in Japan, the cradle of karate.
Assured to be on the podium after the first round in the under 61 kg [1], she was radiant.
“
It was my dream for 21 years.
I have worked very hard for this moment.
I have already had 11 world medals, but this one is completely different.
It really has a special flavor because it is the first participation of karate at the Olympic Games and we do not know if there will be another, so we are writing history
”, she said. , in reference to the fact that his sport will not be on the Paris 2024 program.
A medal for recognition
Olympic metal is really what this 26-year-old champion lacked, three times world champion and holder of twenty medals in major international competitions. “
Giana Farouk is quite popular in Egypt, because she is world champion, but not as popular as Hedaya Malak Wahba who won two bronze medals at the Olympic Games in taekwondo
, explains Amr Nageeb Fahmy, Egyptian journalist for beIN MENA.
As karate was not an Olympic discipline most Egyptians do not know the champions of this sport
”.
The popularity of Giana Lotfy Farouk could have taken a further leap if she had won gold, this August 6, 2021 in Tokyo, in the prestigious Nippon Budokan arena, a few hundred meters from the imperial palace.
But the one who is a daily pharmacist narrowly bowed, by decision of the judges, in the semifinals, against the Chinese Xioyan Yin.
Previously, Giana Lotfy Farouk had beaten the Peruvian Alexandra Vanessa Grande Risco, the Ukrainian Anita Serogina and the Moroccan Btissam Sadini before conceding a loss without much consequence, against Jovana Prekovic.
“
I'm sorry, I wanted to have gold but I did what I had to do,
” she concluded.
► Tokyo 2021: Calendar of events, results, medal table
[1] The two losers in the semi-finals each receive a bronze medal, in major karate competitions.
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