Ziad Esmat
Egypt’s dynamic midfielder looking to break the barriers and push his national team to new heights.
Balancing the pressures of studying for his bachelors at Zagazig University whilst cementing his place in the national team, Ziad knows exactly what hard work and dedication can provide. Now a qualified electrical engineer, his success domestically is unrivalled:
African Cup for Club Champions - 4 🏆
Egyptian Hockey League - 7 🏆
Egypt Cup 2 🏆
Super cup 6 🏆
Why hockey? How did you start playing the sport? What’s your background?
I grew up quite literally next to the club, and hockey was the first popular sport. At that time, I would always see my neighbours and friends playing hockey. It was then that I began my journey into hockey.
After some great performances at the Olympic Qualifiers in Valencia earlier this year, you went on to win the Egyptian League with your club - where do you see Egyptian hockey going in the future? Is the standard improving as you continue to battle with the top teams across the world? Where would you like Egyptian hockey to be in 10 years time say?
We performed well in the qualifiers for the Olympics in Valencia, but unfortunately we couldn’t get over the line to qualify. We improved a lot and worked very hard (as a team). I gained a lot of experience by playing in these matches, which helped me later (in the season), as I later went on to win the Egyptian Hockey League, Egypt Cup and African Club Championships. I believe that we will reach a high level (of hockey in the future) and be able to successfully compete with highly ranked teams. I dream that we will participate in the Olympics again and the World Cup and reach a level that will enable us to not only qualify but compete for the titles of these tournaments.
What's one change you've made to your preparation or training in recent times that you feel gives you an extra 1% ahead of your competitors back home in Egypt?
I would say the main reason for my progress is that I consistently look at European levels and see how they train, their diet, and I try to apply this in my own training (to gain the edge over my competitors back home in Egypt).
Why did you choose to sign with Grays? What does Grays give you that sets you above your competitors?
I chose Grays for its high quality and constant development. They are always engaging with their ambassadors and actively encourage them to reach the highest level.
What's one failure that you've learned from that has helped get to where you are today?
I always look at my mistakes in order to learn from them and never try to evade them, but the failure that affected me greatly was my exclusion from the squad for the African Championship in 2015. I was very young and inexperienced in dealing with this type of setback. However, I used this to my advantage and it gave me motivation to progress. A year later, I was selected for the Junior World Cup in 2016 and was the youngest player in the tournament - a big achievement!
