Ahmad 
Social media sites witnessed a wave of criticism following the spread of news indicating that Egypt will bear the expenses of the participation of the knight Nayel Nassar, the son-in-law of American billionaire Bill Gates, in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Users criticized the idea of the state bearing the travel and accommodation costs of Nassar and his accompanying team in light of the economic challenges facing Egypt.
In a quick response to these criticisms, the Egyptian Equestrian Federation issued an official statement on Sunday, confirming that Nayel Nassar, who will participate in the Olympics representing Egypt, will travel at his own expense.
The statement explained that Nassar and all members of his team, including his wife Jennifer Gates, will move directly from the United States to Paris without imposing any financial burdens on the state.
The federation’s statement came following the spread of a document attributed to the Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports, which included the names and data of the 10-person accompanying delegation of Nassar. According to the document, the federation was scheduled to bear all financial costs for 8 members of the technical and administrative staff accompanying Nassar.
This document raised questions and sharp criticism on social media platforms, as many activists considered it a waste of public money, especially in light of the current economic conditions, and others expressed their surprise at the size of the mission accompanying only one knight, amid comments dominated by sarcasm.
✍🏻 .. قرار سفر وفد الفروسية المشارك فى باريس
” يضم 10 أفراد على فارس واحد !! “🔹القرار الوزاري الخاص بسفر بعثة الفروسية الذي جاء في القرار الجماعي رقم 1044 لسنة 2024 الصادر في 17 يوليو الماضي لسفر البعثة المصرية المشاركة في أوليمبياد باريس ، فضيحة بكل المقاييس
حيث جاء… pic.twitter.com/8ydKfTDJCO— 𝑻𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒌 𝑻𝒊𝑻𝒐 (@tecno_tito) July 28, 2024
For its part, the Egyptian Equestrian Federation confirmed that Nassar had informed the federation that he would bear all his personal expenses and those of his team during his participation in the Olympics.
The federation indicated that the head of the mission had sent a letter to the Olympic Committee on July 4, stating that Nassar and the rest of the mission members would bear all expenses.
It is worth noting that the Egyptian Equestrian Federation had previously announced the selection of Nael Nassar to represent Egypt in the Paris Olympics, noting that he holds the highest world ranking for an Egyptian rider, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian Prime Minister.
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