Elevating Egyptian Handball: A Look Inside Al-Rowad’s Breakout Season

We had the pleasure of speaking with Ahmed Khedr, Manager (Head Coach) of Al-Rowad Club, to learn more about the club’s historic promotion to the Egyptian Premier League. From his personal journey in the sport to the rise of Al-Rowad, Ahmed shared valuable insights into how passion, preparation, and data-driven tools like Steazzi helped shape their most successful season yet.

Can you introduce yourself and your background in handball?

I am Ahmed Khedr, 52 years old, and I’ve been passionate about handball since my childhood. I was a player before graduating from the Faculty of Physical Education in 1995. Since then, I have worked as a coach across various age categories. I hold an International C License from the International Handball Federation, as well as several specialized training certificates. Currently, I work with the Egyptian Handball Federation as a technical expert within the National Projects Committee. I joined Al-Rowad Club in the 2022/2023 season and continue to serve as Manager (Head Coach) of the first team. Since then, we have worked towards achieving promotion to the Egyptian Premier League.

Can you tell us more about Al-Rowad Club and its journey?

Al-Rowad is a sports club located in 10th of Ramadan City, 56 kilometers from Cairo, the capital of Egypt. Handball is a newly established activity at the club, and since its inception, the goal has been to reach the Premier League. Over the years, the club’s performance and results have steadily improved thanks to hard work and dedication.

In the 2022/2023 season, Al-Rowad reached the semifinals of the promotion qualifiers but fell short. In the 2023/2024 season, they made it to the second round, but again didn’t succeed. For the 2024/2025 season, the club returned with strong preparation and topped the first, second, and third phases—finally securing promotion to the Premier League in the fourth stage. This has made it the most successful season in the club’s handball history.

Can you give us more insight on handball in Egypt ?

Egyptian handball holds a prestigious position globally, with strong performances in World Championships and the Olympics, and many professional Egyptian players competing in European leagues.

This success is due to the tireless efforts of the Egyptian Handball Federation, under the leadership of Captain Khaled Fathi.

The Federation is committed to maintaining and developing Egyptian handball, particularly by encouraging clubs to adopt modern technologies for training and statistical analysis. It continues to issue decisions and regulations that promote this direction.

Who is responsible for performance analysis at Al-Rowad?

The performance analyst of Al-Rowad Club is my son, Abdullah Ahmed Khedr, who is now 14 years old. He has been around handball courts, practices, and matches with me from a very young age, which sparked his deep passion for the sport. He entered the world of handball through performance analysis and quickly became skilled in using Steazzi. He has been part of the first team since the start of the 2023/2024 season, analyzing matches and providing statistics that have helped improve team performance—contributing directly to our achievement of promotion to the Premier League.

In what ways has Steazzi supported your team’s success?

I discovered Steazzi through an expert in sports performance analysis. I was impressed by its simplicity, ease of use, and the effectiveness of the data it provides. We used Steazzi in all official and friendly matches to gain accurate insights into both individual players and the team’s performance.

It allowed us to generate detailed reports for each player, identifying strengths and areas for improvement. We also created team-wide performance reports. Specifically, we used Steazzi for:

• Goalkeepers: The app is one of the best tools for analyzing goalkeepers. It visually displays strong and weak areas, allowing us to focus training where it’s most needed. It shows save percentages inside and outside the 9-meter zone and helps us assess which goalkeepers are most effective at long passes for fast breaks.

• Attack: It helps identify the most effective scorers and their preferred shooting zones (inside or outside 9 meters, right or left side).

• Defense: It tracks which players cause the most 2-minute suspensions, make the most interceptions, force reverse free passes, or draw free throws.

We used Steazzi at every stage of our matches:

• Before the match: To choose the optimal formation.

• During the match: To guide goalkeepers on opponents' shooting zones and decide on player substitutions.

• After the match: For detailed analysis to identify weaknesses, strengths, and areas for improvement—for both our team and the opposition.

What are your goals and expectations for next season?

Next season, our goal is to deliver a strong performance and be in a good position at the end of the season. In future seasons, our ambition is to reach the professional league—the highest level of men’s handball competition in Egypt.

Acknowledgments: Who were the key contributors to this season’s achievement?

• Steazzi

• Captain Khaled Amin – Team Supervisor

  

• Captain Ahmed Mohamed Khedr – Manager (Head Coach)

• Captain Hesham El-Deeb – Assistant Coach

  

• Captain Mohamed Ibrahim – Assistant Trainer

• Abdullah Ahmed Khedr – Performance Analyst

• Dr. Abdullah Shokri – Physical Performance Coach

• Dr. Mohamed Ashraf - Director of Team Operations

• Captain Ahmed Sabry – Administrator

• Captain Amr Wahid – Administrator

• The Board of Directors of Al-Rowad Club, led by Mr. Medhat Shehab

Finally, we thank all the players for their dedication and effort, which were the true driving force behind this accomplishment.

Thanks to Ahmed for sharing the story behind Al-Rowad’s breakthrough season and offering a closer look at the evolving landscape of handball in Egypt. We look forward to following the club’s continued progress as they take on new challenges in the Premier League and beyond.