By: Reem Sameh

Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Minister of Youth and Sports, inaugurated the FIVB Volleyball Girls' U18 World Championship, held in Ismailia, Egypt at the Indoor Sports Hall Suez Canal.

Sobhy welcomed the participating teams, hoping them the best wishes at the matches of the tournament.

The ceremony was attended by Major General Hamdi Osman, Governor of Ismailia, Major General Osama Rabie, President of the Suez Canal Authority  in addition to a number ambassadors of the participating countries, Ahmed Abdel-Dayem, acting as head of the Association of Egyptian Volleyball and Dr. Amr Elwany, president of the African union. 

The opening ceremony included the queue of the participating teams in the tournament, and then an artistic concert by the Egyptian artist Nesma Mahgoub. 

The championship witnesses participation of 20 teams and they are as follows: Egypt, Brazil, China, Cameroon, Puerto Rico, Italy, USA, Korea, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Argentina, Belarus, Thailand, Romania, Turkey, Japan, Peru, Bulgaria and DR Congo.

The squad included 12 players: Mai Ghazal, Sabine Hassan, Salma Youssef, Salma Abdel Hadi, Nada Walid, Sandy Khaled, Farida El Hennawi, Aya El Nadi, Mariam Thabet, Logaine Yasser, Nour Ehab and Sama Emad.